The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña

The Sisters of Mercy on Guam and the family of Sister Francis Marie Blas, RSM are gathering in prayer as they mourn the death of the dear religious sister who passed into eternal life on March 13, 2025. She was 91. Funerary schedule: The Novena of Masses and Rosaries is being held at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church March 13 – 21, 2025. Rosary, followed by the Stations of the Cross begins at 5:15 p.m.. Weekday Mass is at 6 p.m. Last respects may be paid on Wednesday, March 26 at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagatña, Guam. Visitation is from 8:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. in the Conference Center; Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30am in the main church of the Cathedral-Basilica. Interment will be at Pigo Cemetery on Thursday, March 27, at 11 a.m.

Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez addresses the Catholic faithful in a March 11, 2025 letter discussing and apologizing for a wrong committed with the Blessed Sacrament last January during a Catholic school prayer service. Click here for full message.

Fr. Paul Gofigan, Vicar General and Chairperson of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission issued a memo to clergy, communities of consecrated persons, lay collaborators, and the faithful in the archdiocese regarding Holy Days of Obligation. Click the header for the full document.

March 7, 2025 -- Archdiocese of Agaña Announcement: With great thanksgiving to God, Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Agaña share the joy of the People of God in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as they prepare to officially welcome their new shepherd of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, Bishop-elect Romeo Duetao Convocar. The Episcopal Ordination and Installation of Most Rev. Romeo Duetao Convocar will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 8 in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral Saipan. The Diocese of Chalan Kanoa will livestream the event on its Facebook page at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18hYFX2gnK/ and will also be shown on its YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF4Fw9vfQxE

MAR. 6, 2025 -- N E W S R E L E A S E: On January 29, 2025, Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez designated three sites as Pilgrim Churches in Guam during the Jubilee Year of Hope, which Pope Francis opened on Christmas Eve, 2024. Pilgrimages in the Archdiocese of Agaña may begin on the Thursday after Ash Wednesday. Click here for hours the doors will be open for pilgrims at these houses of worship.

March 4, 2022 -- Protocol No. 01-76 Archbishop Ryan’s 2025 Lenten Message Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The peace of our Lord be with you. As the Church opens the holy season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, our thoughts and prayers are with the Holy Father. Thank you again to the many who have been praying for the health of Pope Francis. He continues to carry his cross of serious illness while hospitalized in Rome. Whatever may come, we trust in the loving providence of our Creator. The pope wrote his annual Lenten Message nine days before being hospitalized on Feb. 14. The Vatican issued his letter on Feb. 25. His message is composed of three parts: 1. Journeying 2. Journeying together and 3. Journeying together in hope, in our celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope. Journeying is an important part of our salvation history. Discussing the Jubilee motto, “Pilgrims of Hope”, the Holy Father asks us to think of the Israelites and their lengthy, difficult journey from slavery to freedom in the Promised Land

12 WAYS TO OBTAIN A JUBILEE INDULGENCE -- The Vatican has detailed how to obtain plenary indulgences — removing temporal punishment for sin through Christ’s merits — during the 2025 Jubilee Year. Click for full guide prepared by the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.

FEB. 23, 2025 -- NEWS RELEASE Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez asks everyone to please continue to pray for Pope Francis in his struggles with his health. The Vatican’s Press Office issued the following medical update on the Pope on Saturday evening: “The condition of the Holy Father continues to be critical. Therefore, as explained yesterday, the Pope is not out of danger. This morning, Pope Francis experienced an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity, which required the administration of high-flow oxygen. Today's blood tests also revealed thrombocytopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions. The Holy Father remains alert and spent the day in an armchair, although he is more uncomfortable than yesterday. At the moment, the prognosis remains guarded.”   Archbishop Ryan today said, “We continue to express our love and concern for our Shepherd through our fervent prayers. May God guide the hands and minds of Pope Francis’ medical team and grant him full recovery from this ordeal.” The archbishop thanks everyone for their prayers. Sent by Tony C. Diaz, Archdiocese of Agana Director of Communications, (671) 562-0065, [email protected].

Protocol No: 01-53 -- AVISO Most Rev. Ryan P. Jimenez, D.D. Archbishop of Agaña announces the following appointments effective March 3, 2025: • Father Paul Gofigan to the position of Vicar-General • Father Junee Valencia to the position of Parochial Administrator Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores (Tumon) • Monsignor Ruben Espeno to the position of Parochial Administrator, Our Lady of Purification (Ma'ina) • Father Danilo Trajano to the position of Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of Lourdes (Yigo) • Father Gerardo Hernandez to the position of Hospital Chaplain, Guam Memorial Hospital • Monsignor Ruben Espeno to the position of Personal Secretary to the Archbishop CLICK HERE FOR FULL ANNOUNCEMENT

In coordination with Archbishop Ryan, Chairperson Father Paul Gofigan and the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission have issued information regarding Jubilee Year of Hope plenary indulgences and the start date of the pilgrimages to designated Pilgrim Churches. The archbishop's Jan. 29 memo announcing the three designated Pilgrim Churches on Guam, namely, Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica, Hagatna; St Joseph Catholic Church, Inalahan; and St. John Paul the Great Chapel, Astumbo are also posted in this same Announcements section.

Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez has designated three houses of worship as Pilgrim Churches for the Jubilee Year of Hope. Click here for full announcement.

Dec. 25, 2024 -- Dear People of God, Rejoice all ye Faithful, Jesus Christ our Savior is born! I extend the peace and love of God to everyone on this joyful Christmas day. I feel blessed to celebrate my very first Christmas on Guam as your shepherd and brother in Christ. On Christmas, we rejoice in the greatest gift that our Almighty God has given to the whole world: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:11). In his Christmas message of last year, Pope Francis said, “Those words spoken by the angel in the heavens above Bethlehem are also spoken to us. We are full of hope and trust as we realize that the Lord has been born for us; that the eternal Word of the Father, the infinite God, has made his home among us. He became flesh; he came ‘to dwell among us’ ” (Jn 1:14). CLICK TO READ FULL MESSAGE