ROMAN Catholic diocese of Tarlac’s Bishop Enrique ‘Ric’ Macaraeg, from Malasiqui town,  died Monday evening, October 23, due to an apparent cardiac arrest while playing basketball with friends in his hometown.

The players around him were stunned on seeing him collapse after scoring.

Bishop Ric, 67,  had been a big basketball enthusiast since he was in grade school and went on to become varsity player during his seminary days from high school through his studies in philosophy, theology, and earning his masteral degree.

According to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, Macaraeg was ordained priest of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese in 1979. Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Tarlac in 2016.

At the time of his death, he was chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Laity.

The news of his passing was relayed to the CBCP by Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese.

Bishop Macaraeg served as Dean of Seminarians at the San Pablo Seminary, Diocese of Baguio, and as resident priest of the Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Quezon City.

He was appointed parish priest in the towns of Mangaldan, Sta. Barbara, and Malasiqui under the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese and was also the Dean of Studies at the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary. (Eva Visperas)

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