Manuel del Rosario

Who was Manuel del Rosario?

Manuel P. Del Rosario was a Filipino prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. At the time of his death, Del Rosario was the oldest Filipino bishop as well as one of the oldest Catholic bishops.

Del Rosario was born in Baao, Philippines in 1915, and was ordained a priest on March 25, 1939. Del Rosario was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Calbayog and appointed Titular bishop of Zerta on May 24, 1955, and was ordained a bishop on July 25, 1955. He succeeded to bishop of Calbayog July 25, 1958, and was later appointed to bishop of Malolos Diocese on December 11, 1961 and installed March 11, 1962. In 1963, Del Rosario suffered a stroke while attending the Second Vatican Council I in Rome, leaving him paralyzed and using a wheelchair. Del Rosario resigned as the bishop of Malolos due to health reasons on December 15, 1977. He died in March 2009 due to pneumonia.