Pope names Pinoy bishop in U.S.
Fr. Efren Esmilla (center) and fellow Philadelphia auxiliary bishops-elect Keith Chylinski (left) and Christopher Cooke were appointed by Pope Francis on Friday. | Photograph courtesy of ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
Daily TribuneFr. Efren Esmilla (center) and fellow Philadelphia auxiliary bishops-elect Keith Chylinski (left) and Christopher Cooke were appointed by Pope Francis on Friday. | Photograph courtesy of ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
Pope Francis on Friday appointed three new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, including a priest of Filipino descent.
Born in Nagcarlan, Laguna, Fr. Efren Esmilla, 61, along with fellow priests Keith Chylinski and Christopher Cooke, were designated as auxiliary bishops to serve the archdiocese's approximately 1.5 million Catholics.
According to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, the three will join Archbishop Nelson Perez and Auxiliary Bishop John McIntyre, who has served since 2010.
Bishop-elect Esmilla, in a press conference, said he is "greatly humbled and honored" by the appointment.
"I ask all of the clergy, men, and women religious, and lay faithful our beloved local Church to pray for me while knowing that I will pray for all of you so that I can see how to serve you best," he said.
He added: "My great hope is that our beloved Archdiocese of Philadelphia will continue to grow spiritually and to grow in the number of souls as we all strive to be better missionary disciples for Jesus Christ in the world around us".
Before immigrating to the US, Esmilla completed a college degree at San Beda University in Manila in 1984, and took his priestly formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, where he also earned a master of divinity in 1992.
He was ordained to the priesthood for the Philadelphia archdiocese by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua on 15 May 1993.
Having previously tended to the spiritual needs of congregations in Pennsylvania, he served as pastor of St. James in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, since 2021. He has also been the chaplain to the Filipino Apostolate and the spiritual director of the Legion of Mary.
As the fourth Filipino to ascend to the esteemed position of bishop in the US, he joins a select group of influential leaders, symbolizing the growing influence and representation of the Filipino community within the American religious landscape. The others are Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City, Auxiliary Bishop Alejandro Aclan of Los Angeles, and Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino of El Paso-Texas.