When Monsignor Manuel P. Del Rosario received his episcopal consecration, he became the youngest Filipino priest ever to become a bishop at 39 years of age. By the time of death at 93, he was the country's oldest prelate.
Dubbed by Philippine's newspapers as "The Altar Boy who became Bishop", Del Rosario was born on July 1, 1915, at Salvacion, Baao, Camarines Sur, as the youngest of five children of Jose Del Rosario and Modesta Platon. He finished his elementary and intermediate studies at Baao's Elementary school in only five years instead of the normal seven year period and at the young age of twelve was enrolled by his father at the Provincial Normal School in Naga, so as to undergo further studies in order to become a Teacher, but being the youngest among the students, he couldn't stand the manual aspect of the extra curricular activity of cutting grass, so in the middle of the year he got sick. After two months or so of absence, the principal of the school was still willing to take him in so he could finish the first year, but by this time, the boy preferred to be a full time altar boy. Baao's then parish priest, Fr. Florencio Inciong Gonzalez, managed to convince his father to enrol the boy instead in the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary the following year in 1928, from which the boy eventually graduated from in 1932.
Between 1932 and 1936, the Bishop of Caceres, Msgr. Francisco Reyes, sent him to study and finish his college education at the University of St. Tomas, from where he received his licentiate in philosophy. He also studied at the UST Central Seminary from 1936 to 1939, in order to receive with honours his licentiate in sacred theology, and on March 25, 1939, at 23 years of age, was ordained to the priesthood in Naga City by Msgr. Pedro P. Santos, then the Bishop of Caceres after the death of Bishop Reyes.
The young priest was immediately assigned as assistant diocesan economus, then for a few months, coadjutor of the Naga Cathedral. He later served the same offices within the parish of Iriga. During the war years, he served important functions in the Diocese of Caceres as economus, censor, rector of the Peñafrancia Shrine and diocesan secretary.
In 1949 he became diocesan consultor, vicar forane of Catanduanes and parish priest of Virac. The following year, he was appointed vicar forane and parish priest of Gubat, Sorsogon and remained in this post until 1955, when on May 24, he was appointed coadjutor with the right of succession to the Bishopric of Calbayog, Samar by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Zerta on July 25, 1955, from Archbishop Pedro Paulo Santos Songco, assisted by Archbishops Teopisto Valderrama Alberto and Lino R. Gonzaga y Rasdesales.
In that same year, he became Apostolic Administrator of Calbayog and remained in office until 1958, when he became Bishop of Calbayog following the death of Msgr. Miguel Acebedo y Flores. On December 11, 1961, he was appointed as the First Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Malolos, taking possession of the see on March 4, 1962.
Whilst attending the Second Vatican Council in 1963, the Bishop suffered a stroke which left him confined to a wheelchair and bedridden till his death, 46 years later.
During his Episcopate, he however managed to restore the Peñafrancia Shrine which was dilapidated after the Japanese occupation, the Cathedrals of Virac and Calbayog, the Bishop's Residence and Gubat's Church. He also took care of the construction of the Carmelite Convent and the Immaculate Conception Seminary both in Guiguinto, Bulacan, and created new parishes in both Samar and Bulacan.
Resigning his office on December 15, 1977, Del Rosario died of a cardiac arrest brought by pneumonia complications at the Yanga Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan, on Monday, March 23, 2009, around 12.40 am. Successively, his body was laid out in state at the Immaculate Concepcion Minor Seminary in Bulacan and was later interred inside the Cathedral of Malolos on Friday, March 27.
Dubbed by Philippine's newspapers as "The Altar Boy who became Bishop", Del Rosario was born on July 1, 1915, at Salvacion, Baao, Camarines Sur, as the youngest of five children of Jose Del Rosario and Modesta Platon. He finished his elementary and intermediate studies at Baao's Elementary school in only five years instead of the normal seven year period and at the young age of twelve was enrolled by his father at the Provincial Normal School in Naga, so as to undergo further studies in order to become a Teacher, but being the youngest among the students, he couldn't stand the manual aspect of the extra curricular activity of cutting grass, so in the middle of the year he got sick. After two months or so of absence, the principal of the school was still willing to take him in so he could finish the first year, but by this time, the boy preferred to be a full time altar boy. Baao's then parish priest, Fr. Florencio Inciong Gonzalez, managed to convince his father to enrol the boy instead in the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary the following year in 1928, from which the boy eventually graduated from in 1932.
Between 1932 and 1936, the Bishop of Caceres, Msgr. Francisco Reyes, sent him to study and finish his college education at the University of St. Tomas, from where he received his licentiate in philosophy. He also studied at the UST Central Seminary from 1936 to 1939, in order to receive with honours his licentiate in sacred theology, and on March 25, 1939, at 23 years of age, was ordained to the priesthood in Naga City by Msgr. Pedro P. Santos, then the Bishop of Caceres after the death of Bishop Reyes.
The young priest was immediately assigned as assistant diocesan economus, then for a few months, coadjutor of the Naga Cathedral. He later served the same offices within the parish of Iriga. During the war years, he served important functions in the Diocese of Caceres as economus, censor, rector of the Peñafrancia Shrine and diocesan secretary.
In 1949 he became diocesan consultor, vicar forane of Catanduanes and parish priest of Virac. The following year, he was appointed vicar forane and parish priest of Gubat, Sorsogon and remained in this post until 1955, when on May 24, he was appointed coadjutor with the right of succession to the Bishopric of Calbayog, Samar by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Zerta on July 25, 1955, from Archbishop Pedro Paulo Santos Songco, assisted by Archbishops Teopisto Valderrama Alberto and Lino R. Gonzaga y Rasdesales.
In that same year, he became Apostolic Administrator of Calbayog and remained in office until 1958, when he became Bishop of Calbayog following the death of Msgr. Miguel Acebedo y Flores. On December 11, 1961, he was appointed as the First Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Malolos, taking possession of the see on March 4, 1962.
Whilst attending the Second Vatican Council in 1963, the Bishop suffered a stroke which left him confined to a wheelchair and bedridden till his death, 46 years later.
During his Episcopate, he however managed to restore the Peñafrancia Shrine which was dilapidated after the Japanese occupation, the Cathedrals of Virac and Calbayog, the Bishop's Residence and Gubat's Church. He also took care of the construction of the Carmelite Convent and the Immaculate Conception Seminary both in Guiguinto, Bulacan, and created new parishes in both Samar and Bulacan.
Resigning his office on December 15, 1977, Del Rosario died of a cardiac arrest brought by pneumonia complications at the Yanga Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan, on Monday, March 23, 2009, around 12.40 am. Successively, his body was laid out in state at the Immaculate Concepcion Minor Seminary in Bulacan and was later interred inside the Cathedral of Malolos on Friday, March 27.
When Monsignor Manuel P. Del Rosario received his episcopal consecration, he became the youngest Filipino priest ever to become a bishop at 39 years of age. By the time of death at 93, he was the country's oldest prelate.
Dubbed by Philippine's newspapers as "The Altar Boy who became Bishop", Del Rosario was born on July 1, 1915, at Salvacion, Baao, Camarines Sur, as the youngest of five children of Jose Del Rosario and Modesta Platon. He finished his elementary and intermediate studies at Baao's Elementary school in only five years instead of the normal seven year period and at the young age of twelve was enrolled by his father at the Provincial Normal School in Naga, so as to undergo further studies in order to become a Teacher, but being the youngest among the students, he couldn't stand the manual aspect of the extra curricular activity of cutting grass, so in the middle of the year he got sick. After two months or so of absence, the principal of the school was still willing to take him in so he could finish the first year, but by this time, the boy preferred to be a full time altar boy. Baao's then parish priest, Fr. Florencio Inciong Gonzalez, managed to convince his father to enrol the boy instead in the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary the following year in 1928, from which the boy eventually graduated from in 1932.
Between 1932 and 1936, the Bishop of Caceres, Msgr. Francisco Reyes, sent him to study and finish his college education at the University of St. Tomas, from where he received his licentiate in philosophy. He also studied at the UST Central Seminary from 1936 to 1939, in order to receive with honours his licentiate in sacred theology, and on March 25, 1939, at 23 years of age, was ordained to the priesthood in Naga City by Msgr. Pedro P. Santos, then the Bishop of Caceres after the death of Bishop Reyes.
The young priest was immediately assigned as assistant diocesan economus, then for a few months, coadjutor of the Naga Cathedral. He later served the same offices within the parish of Iriga. During the war years, he served important functions in the Diocese of Caceres as economus, censor, rector of the Peñafrancia Shrine and diocesan secretary.
In 1949 he became diocesan consultor, vicar forane of Catanduanes and parish priest of Virac. The following year, he was appointed vicar forane and parish priest of Gubat, Sorsogon and remained in this post until 1955, when on May 24, he was appointed coadjutor with the right of succession to the Bishopric of Calbayog, Samar by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Zerta on July 25, 1955, from Archbishop Pedro Paulo Santos Songco, assisted by Archbishops Teopisto Valderrama Alberto and Lino R. Gonzaga y Rasdesales.
In that same year, he became Apostolic Administrator of Calbayog and remained in office until 1958, when he became Bishop of Calbayog following the death of Msgr. Miguel Acebedo y Flores. On December 11, 1961, he was appointed as the First Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Malolos, taking possession of the see on March 4, 1962.
Whilst attending the Second Vatican Council in 1963, the Bishop suffered a stroke which left him confined to a wheelchair and bedridden till his death, 46 years later.
During his Episcopate, he however managed to restore the Peñafrancia Shrine which was dilapidated after the Japanese occupation, the Cathedrals of Virac and Calbayog, the Bishop's Residence and Gubat's Church. He also took care of the construction of the Carmelite Convent and the Immaculate Conception Seminary both in Guiguinto, Bulacan, and created new parishes in both Samar and Bulacan.
Resigning his office on December 15, 1977, Del Rosario died of a cardiac arrest brought by pneumonia complications at the Yanga Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan, on Monday, March 23, 2009, around 12.40 am. Successively, his body was laid out in state at the Immaculate Concepcion Minor Seminary in Bulacan and was later interred inside the Cathedral of Malolos on Friday, March 27.
Dubbed by Philippine's newspapers as "The Altar Boy who became Bishop", Del Rosario was born on July 1, 1915, at Salvacion, Baao, Camarines Sur, as the youngest of five children of Jose Del Rosario and Modesta Platon. He finished his elementary and intermediate studies at Baao's Elementary school in only five years instead of the normal seven year period and at the young age of twelve was enrolled by his father at the Provincial Normal School in Naga, so as to undergo further studies in order to become a Teacher, but being the youngest among the students, he couldn't stand the manual aspect of the extra curricular activity of cutting grass, so in the middle of the year he got sick. After two months or so of absence, the principal of the school was still willing to take him in so he could finish the first year, but by this time, the boy preferred to be a full time altar boy. Baao's then parish priest, Fr. Florencio Inciong Gonzalez, managed to convince his father to enrol the boy instead in the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary the following year in 1928, from which the boy eventually graduated from in 1932.
Between 1932 and 1936, the Bishop of Caceres, Msgr. Francisco Reyes, sent him to study and finish his college education at the University of St. Tomas, from where he received his licentiate in philosophy. He also studied at the UST Central Seminary from 1936 to 1939, in order to receive with honours his licentiate in sacred theology, and on March 25, 1939, at 23 years of age, was ordained to the priesthood in Naga City by Msgr. Pedro P. Santos, then the Bishop of Caceres after the death of Bishop Reyes.
The young priest was immediately assigned as assistant diocesan economus, then for a few months, coadjutor of the Naga Cathedral. He later served the same offices within the parish of Iriga. During the war years, he served important functions in the Diocese of Caceres as economus, censor, rector of the Peñafrancia Shrine and diocesan secretary.
In 1949 he became diocesan consultor, vicar forane of Catanduanes and parish priest of Virac. The following year, he was appointed vicar forane and parish priest of Gubat, Sorsogon and remained in this post until 1955, when on May 24, he was appointed coadjutor with the right of succession to the Bishopric of Calbayog, Samar by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Zerta on July 25, 1955, from Archbishop Pedro Paulo Santos Songco, assisted by Archbishops Teopisto Valderrama Alberto and Lino R. Gonzaga y Rasdesales.
In that same year, he became Apostolic Administrator of Calbayog and remained in office until 1958, when he became Bishop of Calbayog following the death of Msgr. Miguel Acebedo y Flores. On December 11, 1961, he was appointed as the First Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Malolos, taking possession of the see on March 4, 1962.
Whilst attending the Second Vatican Council in 1963, the Bishop suffered a stroke which left him confined to a wheelchair and bedridden till his death, 46 years later.
During his Episcopate, he however managed to restore the Peñafrancia Shrine which was dilapidated after the Japanese occupation, the Cathedrals of Virac and Calbayog, the Bishop's Residence and Gubat's Church. He also took care of the construction of the Carmelite Convent and the Immaculate Conception Seminary both in Guiguinto, Bulacan, and created new parishes in both Samar and Bulacan.
Resigning his office on December 15, 1977, Del Rosario died of a cardiac arrest brought by pneumonia complications at the Yanga Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan, on Monday, March 23, 2009, around 12.40 am. Successively, his body was laid out in state at the Immaculate Concepcion Minor Seminary in Bulacan and was later interred inside the Cathedral of Malolos on Friday, March 27.
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