Victor de la Cruz Ocampo (March 16, 1952 – March 16, 2023) was a Filipino bishop of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Gumaca from September 3, 2015 until his death on March 16, 2023.
Prior to his installation as Bishop of Gumaca, Ocampo served as priest of the Diocese of Balanga for 38 years from November 5, 1977 to September 3, 2015, being the first to be ordained as priest in the diocese two years after it was founded on March 16, 1975. He also served as the sede vacantediocesan administrator of Balanga during the 8 months and 4 days (246 days) transition from Bishop Socrates Villegas to Ruperto Santos in office as the diocese's bishop from November 4, 2009 to July 8, 2010.
Ocampo is the first from the Diocese of Balanga to serve as bishop outside its jurisdiction Bataan, and the ecclesiastical province of San Fernando, Pampanga where the diocese is part of (Diocese of Gumaca being a suffragan or part of the ecclesiastical province of Lipa, Batangas).
Ministry
1977–2015: Priesthood
Ocampo attended Holy Family Academy in Angeles City and the Mother of Good Counsel Minor Seminary.[1] He then studied philosophy and Catholic theology at the San Jose Seminary in Quezon City. On November 5, 1977, he received the sacrament of ordination for the Diocese of Balanga.[2]
Ocampo first served as parish vicar at St. Joseph Cathedral in Balanga from 1977 to 1979. He then became parish priest of Our Lady and the Pillar in Morong in 1979, the parishes of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Bagac (1981-1986), St. Francis of Assisi in Limay (1986-1991) and Our Lady of Lourdes in Colo, a barangay of Dinalupihan (1991-1996). From 1996 to 1997, Ocampo was parish vicar of the parish of Holy Rosary in Orani and from 1997 to 2002 again at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Balanga. He then served as pastor of the parishes of Holy Rosary in Orani (2002–2007), St. Michael in Orion (2007–2011), and St. Dominic de Guzman Parish (2011–2015). In 2008, he was pastor of the parish of St. Dominic de Guzman in Balanga.[2]
In addition to his pastoral work, Ocampo headed the diocesan office for catechesis (1978–2002), the diocesan liturgical commission (2007–2008), and from 2008 the commission for family and life. From 1986 he was also responsible for the Bible apostolate in the Diocese of Balanga. In addition, Ocampo served as Regional Vicar from 1983 to 1986 and as Chancellor of the Curia from 2008.[2] On November 18, 1993, Pope John Paul II bestowed on him the honorary title of Honorary Papal Chaplain.[3]
In 2013, he was a member of the council of consultors of the Diocese of Balanga.[2]
2015–2023: Bishop of Gumaca
On June 12, 2015, Pope Francis appointed Ocampo Bishop of Gumaca.[2] The Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle, consecrated him on August 29 of the same year in the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Balanga; Co-consecrators were the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, and the Bishop of Balanga, Ruperto Santos. His motto Corpus meum (“My body”) comes from the consecration of the Eucharistic prayer. The inauguration took place on September 3, 2015.
In the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, Ocampo was also a member of the permanent council[4] from 2017 to 2019 and represented the south-east of the island of Luzon.[5] He was also a member of the commissions for the laity and for the biblical apostolate.[6]
Death
Ocampo died of a heart attack at a Gumaca hospital, on March 16, 2023, his 71st birthday.[7]
