Galbines returns home as Bacolod’s seventh bishop

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — Nearly 2,000 faithful and about 325 priests welcomed Bishop Louie Galbines as he was formally installed as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod at San Sebastian Cathedral here Tuesday.

The priests came from the dioceses of Bacolod, Kabankalan and San Carlos, as well as Manila, Cebu and Legazpi.

Archbishop Charles John Brown, the apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, served as the installing prelate, while Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, delivered the homily during the Eucharistic celebration.

About 40 bishops from across the Philippines attended the installation, along with members of the clergy, religious communities, civil officials and faithful from Bacolod and neighboring dioceses.

In his message, Galbines reflected on his return to the Diocese of Bacolod eight years after he was sent to Kabankalan as a “son of Bacolod.”

“Eight years later, Pope Leo XIV returned me to Bacolod—not longer a son, but a father,” he said, describing his return as more than a transfer from one diocese to another.

Galbines expressed gratitude for the trust and friendship that had accompanied his ministry since 2018, when the late Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Kabankalan.

“Leaving Kabankalan is never easy. It is not merely about a place which has a mystical landscape and awesome beaches,” Galbines said.

“It is about the heart of priests, the heart of religious men and women, and the heart of the people of God.”

He thanked the Diocese of Kabankalan for allowing him to witness the Lord through the lives and hearts of its people.

Galbines said he was deeply moved by the warm welcome he received upon returning to Bacolod.

“I am nothing less than overwhelmed by your elegant and kingly welcome,” he said, recalling seeing his face displayed in churches and on tarpaulins throughout the diocese.

Galbines called on the faithful to begin a new chapter together as friends, brothers and sisters, keepers of one another, and one family of God.

“May our smiles turn into laughter as we journey and work together as friends, brothers, sisters, keepers, and as a family of God,” he said.

Looking to the future, Galbines acknowledged the work of his predecessors and described his return as an opportunity to build on the “blueprint of the future” they had prepared.

He thanked his predecessor, Bishop Emeritus Patricio Buzon, who had “sown new possibilities,” and said the fruits of their work would continue to be harvested in Kabankalan and Bacolod.

In his homily, Advincula highlighted two themes central to a bishop’s ministry: confidence in God and God’s confidence in the bishop.

Advincula said episcopal ministry requires deep trust in God’s providence and recognition that God entrusts his people and their pastoral care to the bishop.

Brown described Buzon as a bishop of deep spirituality whose eyes remained focused on Jesus Christ and whose ministry centered on faithfully serving and overseeing the people of God.

Brown emphasized that the transition in leadership did not represent a break in the life and mission of the local church.

“The Church in Bacolod and Negros continues uninterrupted,” Brown said, stressing continuity in the church’s mission and the transmission of faith from one generation to the next.

Brown also emphasized the need to evangelize young people so they could grow in joy and faith and become witnesses to Christ.

He urged parents to take an active role in nurturing their children’s faith by bringing them to Mass and providing them with a strong Catholic education.

Before the installation, Galbines was welcomed Monday at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Hinigaran.

He left his footprint on a commemorative marker at Tanolo Bridge before proceeding by motorcade to Bacolod City.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Galbines bishop of Bacolod on May 14 after accepting Buzon’s resignation.

Galbines was born in Aliwanag, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, and raised by his parents in Barrio Ma-ao, Bago City.

He was ordained to the priesthood at San Sebastian Cathedral on April 29, 1994, making his appointment as the diocese’s new shepherd a homecoming.

The Bacolod City government welcomed Galbines and expressed full support for his leadership.

Mayor Greg Gasataya said the church and City Hall may have different roofs, but they serve and shelter the same people.

“The church tends to the spirit, the city government builds the community, but our destination is exactly the same – the dignity and the upliftment of the Bacolodnon,” he added.