A former missionary who spent 10 years in Papua New Guinea is preparing to return to the country, but this time as a bishop. Father Rolando C. Santos, CM who was elected a bishop on April 3, will head Alotau-Sideia diocese where he served as formator of seminarians and as executive secretary of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands from 2000 to 2010. He goes back to Papua New Guinea after having served as the head of the Congregation of the Mission Philippine Province as its eighth Provincial Visitor for less than a year. Bishop-elect Santos will be ordained and installed in Papua New Guinea on July 3. On Saturday a special thanksgiving Mass was celebrated at the Santuario de San Vicente de Paul in Quezon City ahead of his departure with 44 co-celebrants that included Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales of Manila archdiocese and Bishop Antonio Tobias of Novaliches. During the Mass, Bishop-elect Santos knelt before Bishop Tobias, who blessed his Bishop’s Cross made of bamboo and said: “Receive this Cross as a sign of the love of Christ. May you preach God’s love and never falter.” Cardinal Rosales also gave the bishop-elect his blessings. “God works in mysterious ways. We thank you for accepting to be bishop to the people of Papua New Guinea. We may not be there in person but rest assured that our prayers go with you,” the cardinal told him. Bishop-elect Santos was born in Malabon City on March 21, 1949 and ordained a priest on June 1, 1974. He was assigned as director of novices in 1981-1983, and served as director of the Daughters of Charity from 1988 to 2000 before volunteering for missionary work in Papua New Guinea.
