Gerardo Alminaza (born August 14, 1959) is a Filipino

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

who has been serving as the Bishop of the Diocese of San Carlos in the Philippines since 2013. He was previously an Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro and titular bishop of Maximiana in Byzacena from 2008 to 2013.

Early life and education

Alminaza was born on August 4, 1959, in San Jose,

Sipalay Sipalay, officially the City of Sipalay (; ; ), is a component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 72,448 people. It is the top tourist destination in the province of N ...

Negros Occidental Negros Occidental (; ), officially the Province of Negros Occidental (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Negros, Negros Island. Its capital is the city of Bacolod, of which it is geographically s ...

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, to Felix A. Alminaza and Antonia G. Alimane, both deceased. He studied philosophy at Sacred Heart Seminary in Bacolod and theology at the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, where he obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Theology. He pursued further studies at

Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...

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and earned a Doctorate in Educational Management from the

University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

Bacolod City Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; ; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Negros Island Region in the Philippines. With a total of 600,783 inhabitants as of the 2020 census, it is th ...

Priesthood

Alminaza was ordained a priest on April 29, 1986, for the

Diocese of Bacolod The Diocese of Bacolod is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Negros Occidental, Philippines. A suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro, Archdiocese of Jaro, its jurisdiction covers most ...

. He initially served as Assistant Pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish in

Kabankalan Kabankalan, officially the City of Kabankalan (; ; , Spanish: ''Ciudad de Cabancalán''), is a component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2025 census, it has a population of 330,378 people making it th ...

. He later became dean of studies, Spiritual Director, and eventually Rector of Sacred Heart Seminary in Bacolod City. In addition, he held various administrative roles in the Diocesan Curia of Bacolod, including Chairman of the Diocesan Commission on Catechesis, Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of Bacolod, and Chairman of the Commission on Clergy. He also served as a formator at St. Joseph Regional Seminary in Jaro, Iloilo, and was a Spiritual Director and Pastoral Counselor for the Residency Program for the Young Clergy. Furthermore, he assisted the Intensive Renewal (AIR) Program for Priests under the

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (abbreviated as CBCP) is the permanent organizational assembly of the Catholic bishops of the Philippines exercising together certain pastoral offices for the Christian faithful of their terr ...

(CBCP).

Episcopal ministry

On May 29, 2008,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

appointed Alminaza as Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro and assigned him the Titular See of Maximiana in Byzacena. He was consecrated on August 4, 2008, by Archbishop

Angel Lagdameo Angel Nacorda Lagdameo (; 2 August 1940 – 8 July 2022) was a Filipino bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Jaro from 9 May 2000 until 14 February 2018. Life and career Angel Lagdameo was born on 2 August 1940 in Lucban ...

. On September 14, 2013,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

appointed Alminaza as Bishop of the Diocese of San Carlos, transferring him from the titular see of Maximiana di Bizacena. He was installed on November 18, 2013. Within CBCP, Alminaza held several key leadership roles. From 2011 to 2013, he served as vice-chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Seminaries. He was later appointed chairman of the same commission, a position he held from 2013 to 2019. From 2019 to 2021, he served as vice-chairman of the Commission on Social Action, Justice, and Peace. Additionally, he represented Visayas West as Regional Representative to the Permanent Council from 2009 to 2011.

References

External links

Gerardo Alminaza at Catholic-Hierarchy
{{Authority control 1959 births Living people People from Negros Occidental Roman Catholic bishops of San Carlos (Philippines) Bishops appointed by Pope Benedict XVI University of Santo Tomas alumni Fordham University alumni 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Philippines