Tomas Aguon Camacho

Tomas Aguon Camacho (September 18, 1933 – March 5, 2018) was the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in the Northern Mariana Islands. He served for 25 years as bishop from 1985 until his retirement in 2010.[1]

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Tomas Aguon Camacho
Bishop of Chalan Kanoa (1985 - 2010)
ArchdioceseAgaña
DioceseChalan Kanoa
AppointedNovember 8, 1984
InstalledJanuary 13, 1985
Term endedApril 6, 2010
PredecessorDiocese created
SuccessorRyan Pagente Jimenez
Orders
OrdinationJune 14, 1961
ConsecrationJanuary 13, 1985
Personal details
Born
Tomas Aguon Camacho

(1933-09-18)September 18, 1933
Chalan Kanoa, Saipan, Mariana Islands, South Pacific Mandate
DiedMarch 5, 2018(2018-03-05) (aged 84)
Commonwealth Health Center, Garapan, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S.A.
BuriedOur Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral
NationalityCHamorro
DenominationRoman Catholic
OccupationBishop
Alma materFr. Duenas Memorial School; Saint Patrick's Seminary
MottoFiat Voluntas Tua ("Your Will be Done")
Styles of
Tomas Aguon Camacho
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Posthumous styleBishop Emeritus

Biography

Camacho was born in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan, on September 18, 1933, to Vidal Palacios Camacho and Maria Aguon Camacho.[1] He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 14, 1961, at the age of 27.[1]

Bishop

Camacho was appointed the first bishop of the newly created Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa on November 8, 1984, by Pope John Paul II.[1] He was consecrated on January 13, 1985.[1]

Camacho served as Bishop until his retirement on April 6, 2010, at the age of 76.[1] Immediately after his retirement, he was named bishop emeritus of the diocese.[2] He was eventually succeeded by Ryan Pagente Jimenez, who was ordained as the new bishop on August 14, 2016.[3]

Sexual abuse lawsuit

In February 2017, a lawsuit was filed against Camacho by a man claiming that he was sexual abused by the former Bishop between 1971 and 1974 when he was serving as a priest at the Nuestra Senora de las Aguas Catholic Church in Mongmong, Guam.[4] In April 2019, a second filed a lawsuit against Camacho claiming that he was sexually abused by Camacho at the Mongmong church in the early 1962.[5][4] The Archdiocese of Agaña, which previously had direct jurisdiction over not only Guam but all of the other Mariana Islands as well,[6] was also named as a co-defendant in the lawsuits as well.[4]

Death

Camacho died on Monday, March 5, 2018, at the Commonwealth Health Center, Garapan, on the island of Saipan at the age of 84.[7] He was honored by the local community,[8] and buried on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, beneath the sanctuary of the Mount Carmel Cathedral in Saipan.[9]

References
  1. "Bishop Tomas Aguon Camacho, Bishop Emeritus of Chalan Kanoa, Northern Mariana Islands". Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
  2. David, Clarissa V. (2013-03-14). "NMI Catholics welcome Pope Francis". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
  3. Manabat, Bryan (2016-08-15). "NMI has new bishop". Marianas Variety. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  4. "Retired Bishop Again Accused of Sex Abuse, by Haidee V Eugenio, Pacific Daily News, April 26, 2017".
  5. "Former Saipan Bishop Tomas A. Camacho Accused of Clergy Sex Abuse Again, by Krystal Paco, KUAM, April 26, 2017".
  6. "Our Archdiocese".
  7. Todiño, Junhan B. (2018-03-06). "'We lost a spiritual leader'". Marianas Variety. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  8. Todiño, Junhan B. (2018-03-13). "Municipal council commemorates Bishop Camacho's life, legacy". Marianas Variety. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  9. Todiño, Junhan B. (2018-03-14). "CNMI bids farewell to first Bishop". Marianas Variety. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
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