"Fac Nos Omnes Unum in Eo": The Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Samuel Agcaracar, SVD

January 17, 2026

Tagaytay City, Philippines — The Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Samuel Agcaracar, SVD was solemnly celebrated on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the SVD Chapel in Tagaytay City.

The principal consecrator was His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle, assisted by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles Brown, and Bishop Pablito Tagura, SVD. Around twenty bishops, two hundred priests, a good numberf of religious men and women, SVD brothers and seminarians of the Divine Word School of Theology, lay partners, benefactors, and friends joined the celebration.

Special delegations came from Claveria, Cagayan—the bishop’s hometown—with members of his family and relatives present, as well as a large delegation from Nueva Ecija, including the diocesan clergy, where Bishop Agcaracar has been appointed as the new shepherd of the Diocese of San Jose.

A Celebration of the Church’s Universality

The ordination was marked by its rich international and missionary character, reflecting the charism of the Society of the Divine Word. The procession was preceded by an ethnic dance from Northern Luzon (Tingguian), while the introduction to the Liturgy of the Word featured an elaborate African-style procession. Hymns were sung in African and Vietnamese styles, the readings were proclaimed in Ilocano and Filipino, and the Te Deum was solemnly chanted in Latin.

The celebration was a powerful expression of the universality of the Church and the missionary spirit of the SVD.

3 SVD bishops serviing the local church: bishop Pablito Tagura, SVD, Bishop Sam Agcaracar, SVD

The new bishop with his SVD confreres

Bishop Sam with the clergy of the Diocese of San Jose

Bishop Sam with the Pink Sisters

Bishop Sam with fellow bishops

A Missionary Bishop

Bishop Samuel Agcaracar was born in 1969 in a farming community in Claveria, Cagayan. He worked his way through college as a working student at Divine Word College of Bangued, where he took up Religious Education and later taught, as well as at Divine Word College of Laoag, before entering the SVD Seminary in Urdaneta.

He completed his theological formation at the SVD Seminary in Tagaytay City, made his final profession of vows in 2006, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2007.

After several years of pastoral ministry in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, he was sent to Rome for advanced studies in Missiology. After completing his licentiate, he taught for several years at the SVD seminary before returning to Rome for doctoral studies. He obtained his doctorate in Missiology in 2018.

He later served as Rector of the SVD Seminary, Director of the Divine Word Institute of Missions, Vice-Provincial of the Philippine Central Province, and Executive Director of the SVD Laudato Si’ Farm, popularly known as the SVD Farm.

A Bishop by Nature a Missionary

In his homily, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a former professor of Bishop Sam, began with a striking and thought-provoking question to the congregation: “What is a bishop?”

Reflecting on the chosen Gospel reading from Matthew 28—the Great Commission—the Cardinal explained that the identity of a bishop flows directly from the mission entrusted by Jesus to the Eleven: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…”

He emphasized that a bishop is by nature a missionary; his very raison d’être is mission—sent to proclaim the Gospel, build communion, and shepherd God’s people.

This missionary identity is deeply reflected in the life and scholarship of Bishop Agcaracar, who holds a doctorate in missiology and is the author of the book Interculturality in the Service of Communion: Exploring New Pathways of Mission (Logos, 2019), a work that highlights dialogue, unity in diversity, and mission in today’s multicultural Church.

Towards the end of the Mass, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown thanked the Society of the Divine Word for the gift of episcopacy to the local Church through Bishop Sam. He also referred to the bishop’s episcopal motto, Fac nos omnes unum in eo ("Make us all one in Him"), taken from one of the prayers of St. Arnold Janssen, reminding the new bishop that he is called to be a sign of unity among his clergy and people.

A Heart of Surrender

In his thanksgiving remarks, Bishop Sam shared his initial reaction upon receiving the news of his appointment as bishop of Nueva Ecija. He spoke candidly of his many plans for the seminary and for the SVD Farm. Before the statues of the Virgin of the Poor and St. Arnold Janssen at the SVD Farm, he poured out his anxieties in prayer and ultimately surrendered himself to the will of God.

With deep faith and trust, he now begins his pastoral ministry as Bishop of the Diocese of San Jose, Nueva Ecija, offering his life in service to the local Church.

Photo credits: Diocese of San Jose, Nueva Ecija