Six Catholic bishops and over 50 priests representing 11 dioceses gathered for Mass on Tuesday evening (Nov. 18) at All Saints Catholic Church in Mesa, Ariz., to kick-off the bi-annual Leadership Council gathering of the National Association of Filipino Priests-USA. The Mass also marked the 30th anniversary of Fr. Joevensie “Jovi” Balang’s ordination to the priesthood. Bishop John Dolan and Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo Nevares of Phoenix were joined by Archbishop Rex Alarcon (Archdiocese of Caceres – Philippines), Auxiliary Bishop Rey Bersabal (Diocese of Sacramento), Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino (Diocese of El Paso) and Auxiliary Bishop Andres Ligo (Diocese of San Jose) for the special occasion.
Fr. Jovi, the pastor of All Saints, was ordained in the Archdiocese of Caceres in the Philippines on Nov. 18, 1995. After serving in the Philippines for 18 years, he came to the Diocese of Phoenix in 2013 where he first served as the parochial vicar at St. Augustine Parish in Phoenix before moving to All Saints in 2022.
Established over 15 years ago, the National Association of Filipino Priests-USA aim to build and strengthen the bonds of unity among Filipino catholic priests for mutual help and support, including the assistance of programs and the needs of all intercultural Catholic populations in parishes and dioceses in the United States. The three-day Leadership Council meetings are taking place this week in Mesa. There are 18 Filipino priests currently in the Diocese of Phoenix.
