Marcelino Antonio "Junie" Malabanan Maralit, Jr. (born May 18, 1969) is a Filipino prelate who currently serves as the

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 Diocese of San Pablo since November 21, 2024.

Education

Maralit attended Canossa Academy for his primary elementary education from 1976 to 1979, and then transferred to De La Salle Lipa for his intermediate elementary education from 1979 to 1981. He attended St. Francis de Sales Minor Seminary in

Lipa, Batangas Lipa (), officially the City of Lipa (), is a component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 372,931 people. It is the first city with a charter in the province and one of five ...

for his high school education from 1981 to 1985. Following high school, he pursued a degree in Philosophy at St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary in Lipa from 1985 to 1989. He then continued his studies in Sacred Theology at the Universidad de Navarra in

Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, from 1989 to 1994. He furthered his education with postgraduate studies, focusing on Licentiate and Doctorate courses in Ecclesiastical History at

Pontifical University of the Holy Cross Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (, ) is a Roman Catholic university under the Curial Congregation for Catholic Education, now entrusted to the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, or more commonly called Opus Dei. It was started i ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, from 1999 to 2003.

Priesthood

Maralit was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

to the priesthood on March 13, 1995 at the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa The Archdiocese of Lipa (; ; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines comprising the civil province of Batangas. Its cathedral is the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian located i ...

. He first served as parochial vicar of the Immaculate Conception Parish Church in

Bauan Bauan, officially the Municipality of Bauan (), is a municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 90,819 people. Etymology Bauan derived its name from the following Tagalog wor ...

, Batangas from 1995 to 1996 and concurrently as a professor at St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary in Lipa until 1999. He became Assistant Director of Archdiocesan Commission on Vocation from 1996 to 1998, and Director from 1998 to 1999. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a professor, priest, formator, vice chancellor, and Dean of Studies at St. Francis de Sales Theological Seminary, where he also chaired the Construction Committee from 2006 onwards. He became the Rector of the seminary in 2009, serving until 2013. He then served as parochial vicar of the Parish of Santo Niño de Lipa in Barangay Marawoy, Lipa, from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, he became the parish priest of Invención de la Santa Cruz Parish in Alitagtag, Batangas, and was appointed member of the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Lipa.

Episcopate

Maralit was eventually appointed as Bishop of Boac on December 31, 2014. On March 13, 2015, he was ordained a bishop by Cardinal

Gaudencio Rosales Gaudencio Borbón Rosales (born August 10, 1932), also known as Lolo Dency, is a Filipino Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Manila, from 2003 to 2011. He was made a cardinal in 2006. Rosales was the fourth native Filipino to ho ...

, Archbishop Emeritus of Manila, at San Sebastián Cathedral in Lipa, coinciding with his 20th sacerdotal anniversary. He was installed as Bishop of Boac on March 17, 2015, succeeding Reynaldo Evangelista, who was appointed the Bishop of Imus. On September 21, 2024,

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 him as the fifth Bishop of San Pablo, succeeding Buenaventura Famadico, who had resigned exactly a year prior for health reasons. His canonical installation was held on November 21, 2024 at the Saint Paul the First Hermit Cathedral, presided over by

Archbishop of Manila The Archdiocese of Manila (; ; ) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church, Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Catholic Church in the Philippines, Philippines, encompassing the cities of Manila, ...

Cardinal José Advincula, and Mylo Hubert Vergara, the Bishop of Pasig and

Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

of San Pablo.

External links

Bishop Marcelino Antonio Malabanan Maralit
Catholic-Hierarchy.org

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maralit Jr., Marcelino M. 1969 births Living people 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Philippines People from Lipa, Batangas Bishops appointed by Pope Francis