First Filipino bishop of US in Manila

Bishop Oscar Solis,
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, California pays a courtesy call on Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Rosales

Most Rev. Oscar Azarcon Solis, first Filipino to be named auxiliary bishop in the United States, will be in the country until the third week of August for a series of activities to renew ties with his home land and fellow Filipino priests. He arrived early morning of Sunday, August 8.

This is the Bishop's first trip to the Philippines since his ordination to the episcopacy and appointment as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles last February 10. Bishop Solis has been busy settling into his new ministry and coordinating outreach pastoral efforts for all ethnic groups within the archdiocese.

His return to the Philippines will be a significant homecoming of sorts-with the Ortega-Azarcon-Solis clan which is scheduled to have a family mass and reunion tonight. Friends and well-wishers from Manila , in hometown San Jose , Nueva Ecija as well as in Maria Assumpta Seminary in Cabanatuan City eagerly await to greet the new bishop.

Bishop Solis will have an audience with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Apostolic Papal Nuncio to the Philippines , His Excellency Most Rev. Antonio Franco, and Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales during his stay in the Philippines . He will also be holding various masses in town and in the province. These scheduled masses include Manila Cathedral on August 11 at 5:00 p.m.; Mary Help of Christians Church in Malasin, Nueva Ecija on August 14 at 9:30 a.m.; Maria Assumpta Seminary in Cabanatuan City on August 15 at 9:00 a.m.; University of Santo Tomas Seminary in Manila on August 19 at 6:00 p.m.; and Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Cathedral, Antipolo on August 22 at 10:00 a.m.

"This is truly an exciting homecoming for me," said Bishop Solis. "I will be retracing important relationships that have helped mold me, and I will be visiting places that have been a part and parcel of my life and ministry. Most important of all, I am coming home with a spirit of deep gratitude."

Named to the post by Pope John Paul II in December of last year, Bishop Solis is now one of the five auxiliary bishops of the 8,762 square-mile archdiocese which covers three counties- Los Angeles , Ventura and Santa Barbara . There are about five million Catholics out of 11 million residents, with masses being celebrated in the archdiocese every Sunday in 42 languages including Filipino. Home to some 400,000 Filipinos, the archdiocese incorporates 287 church parishes in 120 cities. Bishop Solis' specific task is to minister to ethnic groups throughout the entire archdiocese as a means of strengthening ties among these communities.

"It is truly a great honor to be of service to the diverse cultural communities of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles," said Bishop Solis. "One of the special characteristics of our Church is its universality and a strong sense of spiritual communion. I am convinced that I can be a sort of liaison, and the Ethnic Ministry Office that I head can serve as a strong link for Filipinos at home and abroad. Hopefully, my fellow Filipinos coming to the US can find a welcoming Christian community here and feel at home even in a foreign land. With our mission in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to build inclusive communities in our church parishes, Filipinos will discover a familiar spiritual and religious setting that will help them relate to their faith experiences at home."

Before taking on his present position, Bishop Solis served the Diocese of Houma­ Thibodaux, Louisiana in the United States for 15 years-as associate pastor of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral, Thibodaux from 1988-1992, pastor of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church from 1993-1999, and pastor of St. Joseph Co-Cathedral and St. Luke Church from 1999­2003. In addition, he served on the boards of various community organizations including the Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center of which he is a founding board member.