Diocese of Tarlac

The Diocese of Tarlac (Latin: Dioecesis Tarlacensis) is a Latin Catholic diocese comprising the whole civil province of Tarlac (except Camp Servillano Aquino in San Miguel, Tarlac City, which belongs to the Military Ordinariate) in the Philippines. The see is the Saint Sebastian Cathedral in Tarlac City.

Diocese of Tarlac

Dioecesis Tarlacensis

Diocesis ning Tarlac
Diocesis ti Tarlac
Diyosesis ng Tarlac
Diócesis de Tarlac
Catholic
Tarlac Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
CountryPhilippines
TerritoryTarlac
Ecclesiastical provinceSan Fernando
MetropolitanSan Fernando
Coordinates15°29′15″N 120°35′18″E / 15.48761°N 120.58828°E / 15.48761; 120.58828
Statistics
Area3,053 km2 (1,179 sq mi)
Population
  • Total
  • Catholics
  • (as of 2021)
  • 1,503,456
  • 1,202,764 (80%)
Parishes70
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedFebruary 16, 1963; 62 years ago (February 16, 1963)
CathedralCathedral-Parish of St. Sebastian
Patron saintSebastian
Secular priests105
Current leadership
PopeLeo XIV
BishopRoberto Calara Mallari
Metropolitan ArchbishopFlorentino Lavarias
Vicar GeneralO'neal M. Sanchez
Bishops emeritusFlorentino Ferrer Cinense
Website
Diocese of Tarlac
Statistics from Catholic-Hierarchy.org

History

On February 16, 1963, the Diocese of Tarlac was created from territories from both the Diocese of San Fernando and the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. It is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Enrique V. Macaraeg, Tarlac's third bishop was appointed bishop by Pope Francis on March 31, 2016. He was ordained on May 24, 2016, and installed on May 31, 2016. Macaraeg died in office on October 23, 2023 due to cardiac arrest, which left the diocese vacant for more than a year.

On December 29, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Roberto Mallari, then bishop of San Jose, as the fourth Bishop of Tarlac. He was canonically installed at the Tarlac Cathedral on March 27, 2025.

Ordinaries

No. Bishop Period in office Notes Coat of arms
1 Jesus Juan Acosta Sison May 11, 1963 – January 21, 1988
(24 years, 255 days)
Resigned
2 Florentino Ferrer Cinense January 21, 1988 – March 31, 2016
(28 years, 70 days)
Retired from office
3 Enrique de Vera Macaraeg May 31, 2016 – October 23, 2023
(7 years, 145 days)
Died in office
4 Roberto Calara Mallari March 27, 2025 – present
(264 days)

Coadjutor Bishop

No. Bishop Period in office Notes
1 Florentino Ferrer Cinense August 17, 1985 – January 21, 1988
(2 years, 157 days)
Succeeded Bishop Sison in 1988

See also

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