INSTALLATION OF BP. NOLLY BUCO AS BISHOP OF CATARMAN

On January 15, 2025, the Diocese of Catarman welcomed its third bishop as Bp. Nolly Buco was formally installed as shepherd of the local Church, succeeding Bp. Emmanuel Trance, who retired in December 2023 due to health reasons.

Appointed by Pope Francis on October 18, 2024, Bishop Buco had already been serving the diocese as apostolic administrator for nearly a year. A former auxiliary bishop of Antipolo, he now takes pastoral responsibility for a diocese serving more than 600,000 Catholics in Northern Samar.

The installation Mass, held in a packed cathedral, was presided over by John Du, with the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Charles Brown, in attendance, alongside numerous bishops, clergy, religious, and civic leaders.

In his message, the 61-year-old bishop spoke with humility and candor, asking the faithful: “Please allow me to serve you amidst all our limitations.” Reflecting on his personal journey, he shared how the “wounds” he encountered in life—both as pastor and as a person—had shaped him. He drew a poignant connection to Samar, whose name is said to come from the word samad, meaning “wound” or “cut,” and spoke of suffering not as defeat but as a path to deeper life.

“To be truly, fully alive, one must also embrace being wounded,” he said. “For indeed, wounds are a gift, like the very wounds of Jesus on the cross.” Though painful, he explained, wounds are signs of life—calling us to healing, conversion, and transformation.

Standing before his new flock, Bishop Buco presented himself not with prestige or grandeur, but as a shepherd formed by grace through vulnerability: “Today, I come before you as your new bishop… bearing the wounds that shaped me—wounds that have taught me how to be fully human and fully Christian.”

With gratitude for the past and hope for the future, the Diocese of Catarman now begins a new chapter under his pastoral care.

 

Bp. Buco just before the installation. 

A civic reception was held in front of the Cathedral prior to the installation ceremony. Beside Bp. Nolly is Msgr. Apang Balerite, the Vicar General.

Bp. Trance, the predecessor of Bp. Buco.

Bp. Buco greeting the priests in his new diocese. 

The two secretaries of the Apostolic Nuncio were also present. 

At the reception after the installation.

St. Isidore the Farmer Parish Church (F-1995)
Lope de Vega, N. Samar 

On the way to Catarman for the installation of Bp. Buco was able to pass by and take pictures of the church of Lope de Vega which was in between Calbayog and Catarman.