Diocese of Butuan

The Diocese of Butuan is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

History

The diocese was erected in 1967, through Pope Paul VI, separating from the Roman [Catholic Diocese of Surigao|Diocese of Surigao]. The territory of the Diocese of Butuan contained the Province of Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte, and Carmelo Dominador Morelos was its first bishop. The diocese is a suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan [de Oro|Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro].
On October 15, 2024, the new Diocese of Prosperidad was carved out of the Diocese of Butuan. The new diocese comprises the province of Agusan del Sur. Pope Francis appointed Ruben C. Labajo, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, as the first ordinary of the new diocese.

Coat of arms

Vert, on a bend sinister wavy Azure a lily Argent slipped proper, between two pomegranates Or seeded Gules.
The pomegranates allude to Butuan, a Malayan word meaning "full of seeds". It is also a symbol of the Resurrection of Our Lord. The blue wavy bend sinister represents the Agusan River. The green field symbolizes fertility, a promise, and a hope for material and spiritual progress and prosperity in the Diocese. The lily is the symbol of St. Joseph, the Patron Saint of Butuan and titular of the Diocese of Butuan.