Above: Bishop Juan Gorordo’s baptismal record at the parish of St. Anne in Barili, Cebu (Photo posted by vip1852 in Flickr.com).

CEBU CITY (Dec. 20, 2009) — The Archdiocese of Cebu commemorates today the 75th death anniversary of Bishop Juan Gorordo, the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu. A Holy Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral will be officiated by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal at 4 PM and will be followed by the opening of the Bishop Juan Gorordo Exhibit at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu.

Born in the southwestern town of Barili, Cebu on April 18, 1862 to Juan Isidro Bautista de Gorordo and Telesfora Garces, Juan Gorordo rose to become the secretary of the diocese until eventually becoming its first Filipino Bishop. Gorordo’s appointment as the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu was very much received with great joy and pride since it signified the Vatican’s trust on the Filipino clergy to administer the local church.

Having served for more than 20 years, Bishop Gorordo resigned on July 31. He died on December 20, 1934.