Fr. Charlie Inzon, OMI to be ordained bishop today
OMI Philippine Province • 09:15 AM Thu May 21, 2020
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
Bishop elect Inzon took his oath of fidelity and profession of faith at the Archbishop Mongeau Center chapel assisted by retired Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, OMI, DD and Cotabato Archbishop Angelito Lampon, OMI, DD. (Photos courtesy Fr. Mario Combong, DCC).
COTABATO CITY – Today is another special day for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the Philippines as the Catholic Church ordain Fr. Charlie M. Inzon, OMI as bishop who will take care of the flock in Jolo vicariate.
A solemn Eucharistic celebration and the rites of ordination of his Excellency Most Rev. Charlie Malapitan Inzon, OMI, DD will be aired live at 3:30 p.m. today over Radio Stations of the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation (NDBC) and also live on Facebook page of OMI Philippines from the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral in Cotabato City.
On Wednesday, Bishop elect Inzon took his oath of fidelity and profession of faith at the Archbishop Mongeau Center chapel assisted by retired Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, OMI, DD and Cotabato Archbishop Angelito Lampon, OMI, DD.
Pope Francis has named Fr. Inzon as bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo in Sulu province on April 4.
The appointment of 54-year-old Fr. Charlie Inzon was made public in Rome at 6 p.m. Philippine time on April 4 and was met with jubilation by his fellow Oblate priests.
Inzon’s appointment came on the eve of Palm Sunday and 19 days before his 27th year in the priesthood.
Father Cha, as most people call Fr. Inzon, is currently the superior of the OMI congregation in the Philippines.
Since November 2018, the Jolo vicariate has been without a bishop after Bishop Angelito Lampon was picked by the Pope to lead the Archdiocese of Cotabato, vice Orlando Cardinal Quevedo who has retired.
In January 2019, Fr. Romeo Saniel was named to take care of the Jolo vicariate as its administrator.
According to the CBCP news site, an apostolic vicariate is a local church that has not yet been established as a diocese. Its administration is assigned to an apostolic vicar who governs it in the name of the Pope.
Bishop-elect Inzon was born in Putiao, Sorsogon on Nov. 24, 1965. He joined the Oblates in 1982. He was ordained a priest on April 24, 1993, in Caloocan City.
After his ordination, Inzon was immediately sent to Sulu when he served as chaplain of Notre of Jolo College in Jolo. He then led the OMI mission station in Batu-Batu, Tawi-Tawi.
Inzon was briefly back in Caloocan as assistant parish priest in Bagong Barrio, then vicar of the Midsayap parish in Cotabato province before serving as director of the OMI college seminary in Quezon City from 2000 to 2007.
He was back in Jolo in 2007, serving in various capacities in the Note Dame College of Jolo. By 2014, Inzon transferred to Cotabato City to serve as president of the Notre Dame University.
In 2018, he was named OMI provincial superior. (Edwin O. Fernandez)