Sergio Utleg Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Most Reverend
Sergio Utleg
Archbishop Of:Archbishop Emeritus of Tuguegarao
See:Tuguegarao
Enthroned:June 15, 2011
Ended:October 18, 2019
Predecessor:Diosdado Talamayan
Successor:Ricardo Baccay
Ordination:30 March 1968
Consecration:17 March 1997
Previous Post:
Birth Date:September 11, 1943
Birth Place:Solana, Cagayan
Nationality:Filipino
Religion:Roman Catholic
Alma Mater:
Consecrated By:Gian Vincenzo Moreni
Coat Of Arms:File:Coat of arms of Sergio Lasam Utleg as Archbishop of Tuguegarao.svg
Motto:Latin: Veritas liberabit vos
('The truth will set you free', 8:32)
Native Name:Ama Enjo Utleg

Sergio Lasam Utleg (born in Solana, Cagayan, September 11, 1943),[1] is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. He is the former Archbishop of Tuguegarao in Tuguegarao, Philippines. On October 18, 2019, his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis, appointing Alaminos Bishop Ricardo Baccay as his successor.

Sergio Lasam Utleg
Dipstyle:The Most Reverend
Offstyle:Your Excellency
Relstyle:Archbishop
See:Tuguegarao (Emeritus)

Life and church

Sergio Lasam Utleg or fondly called as "Ama Enjoe" was born 11 September 1943 in Solana, Cagayana (Philippines). He received his Philosophical and Theological Studies at the UST Central Seminary in Manila. He then obtained a MA in Sociology at the Fordham University in New York, USA in 1987 and a licentiate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1968.

He was ordained a priest in New York, USA for then Diocese of Tuguegarao on 30 March 1968. After a few years of being a parochial vicar, he became parish priest in Cordova, Amulung from 1973 to 1987 and then, parish priest in Alcala, Cagayan until 1997. At the same time, he held positions in the office for the social pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.

He was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Ilagan on 10 February 1997 by Pope John Paul II. His Episcopal Consecration was on March 17, 1997 at St. Peter's Cathedral, Tuguegarao. He then succeeded as Bishop of Ilagan on July 26, 1999 following the acceptance of the resignation of his predecessor, The Most Rev. Miguel Purugganan. Then-Bishop Utleg was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Bishop of Laoag on November 13, 2006 and installed as Bishop of Laoag on January 11, 2007.[2]

Within the Episcopal Conference of the Philippines, he became President of the "Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples".

Archbishop of Tuguegarao

On June 16, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI has elevated Laoag Bishop Sergio Utleg to Archbishop of Tuguegarao replacing retiring Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan.[3] [4] His resignation was accepted by Pope Francis on October 18, 2019, appointing Alaminos Bishop Ricardo Baccay as his successor as Archbishop of Tuguegarao.[5]

Coat of Arms

Lifted from the Souvenir Program “ The Rite of Liturgical Reception, EucharisticCelebration and Canonical Possession of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao”

His Excellency The Most Reverend Sergio Lasam Utleg, D.D., Third Metropolitan Archbishop of Tuguegarao August 12, 2011. Saint Peter Cathedral, Tuguegarao City.

The two sides of the coat of arms are divided in the middle by blue wavy lines. The right side is the personal seal of the Archbishop. The left side is the seal of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.

Year Adopted:2011
Helm: Archbishop's Galero
The shield is surmounted by an archbishop's galero or ecclesiastical hat of this rank with ten tassels for each side in Vert (green) that signifies the rank of an Archbishop.
Motto:Latin: Veritas liberabit vos
"The truth will set you free" the motto is taken from John 8:31.
Other Elements:Archbishop's Cross
The shield is also surmounted by an archbishop's cross of the Order of Preachers. A reminder of the priestly formation he received from the Dominican sisters of Saint Vincent Institute in Solana and the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary in Manila.
Symbolism:The blue wavy lines, a symbol present in both the seal of the Archbishop and the Archdiocese, stand for the great Cagayan River on whose banks the Archbishop grew up and worked, which empties into the Babuyan Channel near Aparri, his last parish assignment. The fleur-de-lys in its center represents Our Lady of Piat.
On the upper right side is a white dove on a gold background symbolizing the Spirit of freedom; gold stands for mobility and power, white for purity and humility; both are Papal colors.
On a green background, emblazoned in red are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega. They stand for the ever-burning Truth; the Green background is the symbol of life of hope.
On the lower right stand three ears of corn. They represent three important places in the life and ministry of the Archbishop, the towns of Solana and Alcala, his birthplace and his parish assignment, respectively; and the province of Isabela, the territorial jurisdiction of the Diocese of Ilagan, where his first assignment as a bishop was. In these places, corn is one of their main produce.
The left side of the shield is dominated with green. This represents the wide fertile land of the Province of Cagayan.
On the upper left side are two keys de-bruising a Latin cross with its head downwards. These are symbols of Saint Peter, titular of the cathedral. Tuguegarao, the seat of the Archdiocese, etymologically means “fire at daytime” (tuguig arao) hence the sun at its side and the symbols of fire at the middle left.
On the lower left are mountains drawn in the Italian heraldic style symbolizing the high mountain ranges of Sierra Madre and Cordillera that surrounds the province of Cagayan.
Previous Versions:
as Bishop of Ilagan and Laoag

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MOST REV. Sergio Lasam Utleg, D.D.. CBCP Online. 16 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120323154311/http://www.cbcponline.net/bishops/bishops/utleg.html. 23 March 2012. dead. dmy-all.
  2. Web site: Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas installed as Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan. Catholic Hierarchy. 16 June 2011. 16 June 2011.
  3. Web site: Benedict promotes 3 Pinoy bishops. Manila Times. 16 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111217161511/http://manilatimes.net/index.php/news/top-stories/4459-benedict-promotes-3-pinoy-bishops#. 2011-12-17. dead.
  4. http://incaelo.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/congratulations-to-a-philippine-bishop/ In Caelo et in Terra: "Congratulations to a Philippine bishop"
  5. Web site: Rinunce e nomine. press.vatican.va. 2019-11-19.