Roman Catholic Diocese of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo

Roman Catholic diocese in Paraguay

Diocese of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo Dioecesis Villaricensis Spiritus Sancti


Location
Country	Paraguay
Metropolitan	Asunción
Statistics
Area	13,342 km² (5,151 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 293,500 290,140 (98.9%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Adalberto Martínez Flores
Map

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo (Latin: Dioecesis Villaricensis Spiritus Sancti) is a Latin Rite suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Asunción, which cover all and only Paraguay.

Its cathedral episcopal see is Catedral Santa Clara, dedicated to Saint Clara, in the city of Villarrica, Guairá Department.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 342,000 Catholics (99.7% of 343,000 total) on 13,342 km² in 35 parishes, 43 priests (39 diocesan, 4 religious), 65 deacons, 89 lay religious (13 brothers, 76 sisters), 27 seminarians.

History

On May 1, 1929, the Diocese of Villarrica was established on territory split off from the then Roman Catholic Diocese of Paraguay
It lost territories thrice : on 1957.01.19 to establish Diocese of San Juan Bautista, on 1957.01.21 to establish Territorial Prelature of Encarnación y Alto Paraná (now a diocese) and on 1978.06.05 to establish Diocese of Carapeguá.
It enjoyed a Papal visit from Pope John Paul II in May 1988.
On January 13, 1990, the diocese was renamed, or more precisely given an alternative name, as Diocese of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo (avoiding confusing with its Chilean namesake)

Bishops

(all Roman Rite and natives)

Episcopal Ordinaries

Suffragan Bishops of Villarrica

Augustin Rodríguez (October 19, 1931 – December 7, 1965), next Titular Bishop of Castellum Tingitii (1965.12.07 – 1968.12.25) as Military Vicariate of Paraguay (1965.12.07 – death 1968.12.25)
Felipe Santiago Benítez Avalos (December 4, 1965 – May 20, 1989), also President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1973 – 1985), First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (1983 – 1987); previously Titular Bishop of Chersonesus in Europa (1961.08.10 – 1965.12.04) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Asunción (Paraguay) (1961.08.10 – 1965.12.04); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (1989.05.20 – retired 2002.06.15), President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1989 – 1990), died 2009
- Auxiliary Bishop : Angel Nicolás Acha Duarte (1975.12.22 – 1978.06.05), Titular Bishop of Lamdia (1975.12.22 – 1978.06.05); later Bishop of Carapeguá (Paraguay) (1978.06.05 – death 1982.06.24)

Suffragan Bishops of Villarrica (del Espíritu Santo)

Sebelio Peralta Álvarez (April 19, 1990 – December 27, 2008), previously Titular Bishop of Iunca in Mauretania (1979.03.05 – 1990.04.19) as Auxiliary Bishop of Villarrica (1979.03.05 – succession 1990.04.19); later Bishop of San Lorenzo (Paraguay) (2008.12.27 – death 2014.11.19)
Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Rios (25 June 2010 – 29 June 2017), also Apostolic Administrator of Diocese of Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) (2014.09.25 – 2014.11.15), Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2015.11.03 – ...); previously Titular Bishop of Casæ Calanæ (1993.11.27 – 2003.05.24) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Asunción (Paraguay) (1993.11.27 – 2003.05.24), Military Ordinary of Paraguay (2003.05.24 – 2010.06.25); later Bishop of Caacupé (Paraguay) (2017.06.29 – ...)
Adalberto Martínez Flores (23 June 2018 - ...), previously Titular Bishop of Tatilti (1997.08.14 – 2000.05.18) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Asunción (Paraguay) (1997.08.14 – 2000.05.18), Bishop of San Lorenzo (Paraguay) (2000.05.18 – 2007.02.19), Bishop of San Pedro (Paraguay) (2007.02.19 - 2012.03.14), Military Ordinary of Paraguay (2012.03.14 – 2018.06.23).