Arguelles was ordained a priest on December 21, 1969. Argüelles served as rector of San Carlos Seminary from 1982 to 1986. On November 26, 1993, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the office of bishop, and appointed him titular Bishop of Roscrea. Arguelles was auxiliary bishop of Manila. Afterwards, he took the administration of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines. In 2004, he was named Archbishop of Lipa succeeding Gaudencio Rosales, who became Archbishop of Manila in 2003. Arguelles attended Batangas South Elementary School from grades 1 to 4 and St. Bridget's College from grade 5 to 2nd year high school. He finished 2nd to 5th year high school at Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary in Makati City. He studied philosophy and theology at the San Carlos Seminary in Makati City. Arguelles studied for the Bachelor of Sacred Theology and Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome where he also studied sociology. He studied French at the Universite d'Ete in Paris, France ; German at the Goethe Institute, Passau, Germany ; Teresa de Avila at the Centre Spirituel, France ; Tertianship at the Nemi Renewal Institute, Rome ; Poustinia at Madonna House, Comberemere, Ontario, Canada ; and apostolic spirituality at St. Bueno's, North Wales. Arguelles' priestly ministry began when he served as assistant parish priest at San Jose de Navotas in Navotas City, Metro Manila. He also served at these parishes in Germany: Hoxter 1 Luchtringen ; Clemenskirche, Hannover ; and Grosskollnbach/Isar. Arguelles was also former prefect and acting pastor of the Guadalupe Minor Seminary. For three years he was priest-in-charge of the Fil-Mission Seminary in Tagaytay where he was also professor of Introduction to the Scriptures. He served as rector of San Carlos Seminary in Makati City and professor of Spirituality at the Summer Institute. He was parish priest and chaplain at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City and then became parish priest of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Quezon City. Arguelles served as rector of the Colegio Filipino in Rome and became chaplain of Filipinos in that country for two years. Pope John Paul II appointed him an auxiliary bishop for Manila on Nov. 27, 1993 and he was consecrated at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He was appointed head of the military ordinariate of the Philippines on Aug. 25, 1995 and served until 2005. Since 1995, Arguelles has been chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. Since 1988 he has been spiritual director of the National Service Committee of the National Charismatic Renewal Movement.
