Did you know that St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City has produced seven bishops to date? The first was Most Rev. Jose A. Cabantan, DD, from the Class of 1990, who was appointed Bishop of Malaybalay in 2010 and has served as Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro since 2020. He was followed by Most Rev. Severo C. Caermare, DD (Class of 1995), appointed Bishop of Dipolog in 2014; Most Rev. Alberto S. Uy, DD (1993), Bishop of Tagbilaran in 2017; Most Rev. Raul B. Dael (1993), Bishop of Tandag in 2018; Most Rev. Jose R. Rapadas III, DD (1999), Bishop of Iligan in 2019; Most Rev. Noel P. Pedregosa, DD (1991), Bishop of Malaybalay in 2021; and most recently, Most Rev. Reynaldo B. Bersabal, DD (1991), who was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento, California, in 2024.
Browse below seminary alumni who have become bishops.
Photo below shows the St. John Vianney alumni (except for US-based Bishop Bersabal) during the recent 130th Bishops Plenary Assembly in Bohol.
St. John Vianney Theological Seminary located at Seminary Hill in Camaman‑an, Cagayan de Oro City was founded in June 1985 with an initial batch of 37 seminarians, and the first ordinations took place in 1990. Named after St. John Marie Vianney—the Curé of Ars and Patron of Parish Priests—the seminary was originally administered by Jesuit priests at the invitation of Mindanao bishops, later joined by diocesan and lay formators.
In May 2023, the Vatican officially elevated the institution as the St. John Vianney School of Theology, an ecclesiastical higher education institution affiliated with the Loyola School of Theology in Manila, granting graduates the pontifical Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus (STB) degree.
images courtesy of Abet Uy
