Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Samuel Agcaracar as the new bishop of the Diocese of San Jose de Nueva Ecija. He will be the fifth bishop of the diocese.
Agcaracar, 55, is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). Before this appointment, he served as rector of the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City and as provincial admonitor of the SVD Philippine Central Province.
Born in Claveria, Cagayan, he began his ministry as a teacher and catechist in his home parish. He later studied philosophy and theology at SVD seminaries and was ordained in 2007.
He holds a doctorate in missiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and founded the SVD Laudato Si’ Farm in Tagaytay.
The previous bishop, Roberto Mallari, moved to lead another diocese, leaving the San Jose post vacant for nearly eight months. The installation date for Bishop‑elect Agcaracar has not yet been announced.