A UST Canon Law graduate has been appointed by Pope Francis as bishop of the Diocese of Catarman in Northern Samar, the Vatican announced on Friday, Oct. 18.
Bishop Nolly Buco, who finished his doctorate in canon law in the University in 2004, will succeed Bishop Emmanuel Trance, who has retired because of health reasons. Trance started serving the Northern Samar diocese in 2005.
Buco is a former auxiliary bishop of Antipolo, a post he assumed in 2018. He was named apostolic administrator of Catarman in 2023.
The Canon law expert was ordained a priest in 1993 for the diocese of Antipolo after completing his studies in theology at the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary in Bulacan. He obtained his master’s degree in theological studies from the seminary.
Buco completed his doctorate in anthropology from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2003. A year later, he finished his doctorate in canon law in UST.
Before handling ecclesiastical posts in Antipolo and Catarman, Buco was the parish priest of Our Lady of Light in Cainta, Rizal. He also served as the parish priest of San Antonio de Padua Parish in Marikina. F
