Diocese in the Philippine
Islands, formerly a part of the Diocese of Ceb™, was made a
separate diocese on 27 May, 1865. It comprises the islands of
Panay and Negros; the Romblon, Palawan, and Jolo groups, and in
the island of Mindanao the Provinces of Zamboanga, Cottabato, and
Davao. The Catholic population is over a million. Here and there
throughout the diocese are some Aglipayan schismatics, and in
Mindanao and the Jolo group a large number of Mohammedans and some
pagans. In 1909 there were forty-five native priests, about forty
friars (Augustinians and Recollects), twenty Mill Hill missioners,
and about ten Jesuits. In Jaro itself there is a diocesan seminary
in charge of the Lazarists. Eighty of its students are preparing
for the priesthood and the rest for secular careers. In the city
of Iloilo the Augustinians conduct a college for lay students. In
the towns of Jaro, Iloilo, Zamboanga, and Dumaguete are academies
for young ladies, conducted respectively by Spanish and native
Sisters of Charity, native Sisters of the Holy House of Mary, and
French Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres. The leper settlement of
Culion, under government control, is attended by Jesuit priests
and brothers, and by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres. The
churches and parochial residences are generally large, solidly
constructed stone buildings, Spanish in architecture. Many of them
are very beautiful. Owing to the withdrawal of the Spanish friars
at the outbreak of the revolution against Spain (1898), and the
present scarcity of priests, some parishes are still vacant. The
native language, spoken throughout the greater part of the
diocese, is Visayan. But in the island of Mindanao the language
spoken is a mixture of Spanish and several native dialects. The
educated classes, besides speaking their native dialect, also
speak Spanish. Since the American occupation the school children
are being taught English. The diocese is the centre of the
sugar-growing industry, and the planters have always had a
predilection for education and culture. Many of the most prominent
Filipinos in professional, commercial, and political life are from
these parts. Formerly the bishops were Spaniards.
Since 1898 an American bishop
presides over the diocese. The first was the Rt. Rev. Frederick
Zadok Rooker, consecrated on 14 July, 1903, at Rome; d. in 1907.
Bishop Rooker was born in New York, 19 Sept., 1861, and made his
first studies at Albany and at Union College; later he entered the
American College at Rome, and obtained in the College of
Propaganda the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of
Theology. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1888, and acted as
vice-rector of the American College from 1889 to 1894. In 1895 he
became secretary of the Apostolic Delegation then recently
established at Washington, and held that office until his
consecration as Bishop of Jaro.
James P. McCloskey.
