CICM Missionary Priest and Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Tarboro, North Carolina, USA
With family roots in Arellano, Orion, Rev. Fr. Eric Michael Cruz Imbao, C.I.C.M. followed a vocation nurtured by faith and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. From his formation in the Philippines to his present missionary service in the United States, his journey reflects a courageous response to God’s call and a lasting commitment to bringing Christ to people of different cultures and communities.
Early Life and Family Roots in Orion
From an early age, the Blessed Virgin Mary held a special place in the heart of Eric Michael Cruz Imbao. This Marian devotion became a meaningful part of the spiritual journey that eventually led him to a missionary congregation dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Eric is the son of Ernesto Imbao and Milagros Cruz, whose family is connected to Arellano, Orion. Through these family roots, his vocation forms part of the continuing heritage of faith and religious service associated with the Parish of Saint Michael the Archangel.
The faith he encountered within his family and community helped provide the foundation for a vocation that would eventually take him far beyond his family’s hometown.
Education and Missionary Discernment
Eric pursued his college education at Saint Louis University in Baguio City, an institution founded by the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Within this academic and missionary environment, his desire to dedicate his life more fully to God gradually became clearer.
After completing his college studies in 2008, he entered the CICM novitiate and began a deeper period of prayer, discernment, discipline, and community formation.
The novitiate introduced him to the demands of religious missionary life. It taught him that the missionary vocation required more than a willingness to travel. It called for humility, openness to different cultures, attentiveness to the experiences of others, and readiness to serve wherever the congregation and the Church might send him.
Theological Formation and Mission Internship
Fr. Eric later pursued his theological studies at Maryhill School of Theology. His years of study strengthened his understanding of the Catholic faith and prepared him for the pastoral responsibilities of the priesthood.
After completing his theological formation, he participated in the CICM mission internship program. Through his encounters with different communities, he gained practical experience in missionary life and pastoral service.
This period of formation helped him understand that missionaries are called not only to preach but also to listen, accompany people, respect their culture, and share in their struggles and hopes.
Ordination to the Priesthood
On July 16, 2016, Eric Michael Cruz Imbao received the Sacrament of Holy Orders at St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe Parish in Novaliches, Quezon City.
His ordination marked the completion of many years of religious, theological, and missionary formation. At the same time, it began a new chapter of service as a CICM missionary priest.
Through ordination, Fr. Eric was entrusted with celebrating the Eucharist and the other sacraments, proclaiming the Gospel, accompanying families, guiding young people, and bringing the pastoral presence of the Church to the communities assigned to his care.
Missionary Service in the United States
Fr. Eric’s missionary vocation eventually brought him from the Philippines to the United States. He was assigned to the CICM mission in the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Serving in communities with different cultures, languages, and traditions allowed him to live more fully the missionary vocation he had embraced. His Filipino identity, Marian devotion, and CICM formation became gifts that he could share with the people entrusted to his pastoral care.
His ministry has included celebrating the sacraments, preaching the Gospel, accompanying individuals and families, guiding young people, and supporting the faith life of multicultural Catholic communities.
Accompanying Young People in Faith
One meaningful aspect of Fr. Eric’s ministry has been his service to young Catholics. In 2023, he accompanied pilgrims from North Carolina to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, as well as to sacred pilgrimage sites in Italy.
The pilgrimage gave young people an opportunity to encounter Christ, experience the universality of the Catholic Church, and share their faith with pilgrims from around the world. Fr. Eric encouraged the group to face the sacrifices and challenges of the journey with joy, prayer, and mutual support. His participation in the pilgrimage is documented by both the CICM Missionaries and St. Catherine of Siena Parish.
His work with young people continued within his parish ministry. Through formation activities, pilgrimages, liturgical celebrations, and ordinary pastoral encounters, he helped young Catholics understand that they also have an important place in the life and mission of the Church.
Present Ministry in North Carolina
As of 2026, Fr. Eric serves as Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Tarboro, North Carolina. The parish’s official directory identifies him as its pastor and as a religious missionary priest of CICM.
Through his present assignment, he continues his missionary service through parish leadership, sacramental ministry, faith formation, pastoral care, and community outreach.
His pastoral work has included supporting young people and families, strengthening the parish’s devotional and sacramental life, and helping the community respond to people in need. His ministry at St. Catherine of Siena has also been featured by the Diocese of Raleigh.
A Continuing Legacy of Faith
The journey of Rev. Fr. Eric Michael Cruz Imbao, C.I.C.M. forms a meaningful part of Orion’s continuing heritage of priestly and religious vocations.
From his family roots in Orion and his years of formation in the Philippines to his missionary service in the United States, Fr. Eric’s journey demonstrates how a vocation nurtured within a family and faith community can grow into a mission that crosses borders and cultures.
His story can inspire young people who may be discerning their own vocation. The call to serve God often begins quietly—in prayer, family life, education, parish involvement, and a growing desire to place one’s gifts at the service of others.
Through his priesthood and missionary service, Fr. Eric continues to show that a sincere response to God’s call can unite communities, strengthen faith, and become a source of hope for people far beyond one’s place of origin.
Key Milestones
