A newly appointed Filipino bishop in the US is encouraging families to make their homes a ‘school’ of faith and true domestic churches.
Reflecting on his appointment, auxiliary bishop-elect Reynaldo Bersabal of Sacramento emphasized that home is where faith is learned and grows.
“I would like to personally appeal to all families to make your home a school of fervor devotion where the seed of vocation to religious life and steadfast grace continues to flourish,” Bersabal said in a video message.
He also shared how his family shaped his faith during his upbringing.
During his high school years, he also said that missionary priests assigned in his hometown of Magsaysay in Misamis Oriental province captivated his interest in the priesthood.
“I can only attribute part of what and who I am today as coming from their faithful influence,” said.
Pope Francis on April 20 appointed Bersabal as auxiliary bishop of the Sacramento diocese, where he had been incardinated as priest since 2004.
As auxiliary bishop, he will assist Bishop Jaime Sotto, 68, who has been shepherding the diocese for the past 15 years.
Bersabal, 59, was ordained priest in 1991 for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, where he served in various roles across different parishes and within the archdiocesan curia.
In Sacramento, he also held various assignments not just in parishes but also in the diocesan presbyteral council over the past 20 years .
“The years of pastoral experience working in the parishes of the geographical and demographically large Diocese of Sacramento will be one of the strengths he brings to his new ministry,” Soto said.
“His understanding of Catholic faith and mercy springs from lived experiences of families striving to follow the Lord Jesus in our turbulent times,” he added.
The diocese serves over 1 million Catholics across 20 counties spanning 42,000 square miles in Northern California, from the San Francisco Bay to Sacramento and the Oregon border.”
The ecclesiastical territory also comprises over 100 parishes, 42 schools, and various social services and family support organizations across the region.