Archdiocese of La Serena

Historical Details

• Diocese of La Serena
  • Latin Name: Serenensis
  • Erected: 1 July 1840
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile
  • Country: Chile

Past and Present Ordinaries

• José Agustín de la Sierra Mercado † (22 Jul 1842 Appointed - 31 Aug 1851 Died)
• Justo Donoso Vivanco † (10 Mar 1853 Appointed - 22 Feb 1868 Died)
• José Manuel Orrego Pizarro † (21 Dec 1868 Appointed - 17 Sep 1887 Resigned)
• Florencio Eduardo Fontecilla Sánchez † (26 Jun 1890 Appointed - 1 Mar 1909 Died)
• Ramón Ángel Jara Ruz † (31 Aug 1909 Appointed - 1 Mar 1917 Died)
• Carlos Silva Cotapos † (20 Feb 1918 Appointed - 14 Dec 1925 Appointed, Bishop of Talca)
• José María Caro Rodríguez † (14 Dec 1925 Appointed - 28 Aug 1939 Appointed, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile)
• Juan Subercaseaux Errázuriz † (8 Jan 1940 Appointed - 9 Aug 1942 Died)
• Alfredo Cifuentes Gómez † (5 Jun 1943 Appointed - 10 Mar 1967 Retired)
• Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín † (28 Jun 1967 Appointed - 3 May 1983 Appointed, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile)
• Manuel José Bernardino Piñera Carvallo † (1 Jul 1983 Appointed - 29 Sep 1990 Retired)
• Francisco José Cox Huneeus, P. Schönstatt † (29 Sep 1990 Succeeded - 16 Apr 1997 Resigned)
• Manuel Gerardo Donoso Donoso, SS.CC. (16 Apr 1997 Appointed - 14 Dec 2013 Retired)
• René Osvaldo Rebolledo Salinas (14 Dec 2013 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of La Serena
1950	232,750	245,609	94.8%	38	48	86	2,706		57	127	27	ap1951
1966	221,025	245,584	90.0%	25	44	69	3,203		47	65	25	ap1967
1970		326,693	.0%	27	40	67	0		49	158	25	ap1971
1976	295,156	322,975	91.4%	23	37	60	4,919	3	46	130	25	ap1977
1980	272,800	340,800	80.0%	22	31	53	5,147	4	40	123	25	ap1981
1990	301,703	402,271	75.0%	31	31	62	4,866	10	40	165	30	ap1991
1999	313,335	391,919	79.9%	32	35	67	4,676	49	44	149	31	ap2000
2000	284,517	492,275	57.8%	31	36	67	4,246	49	48	147	31	ap2001
2001	364,283	492,275	74.0%	29	35	64	5,691	52	55	153	31	ap2002
2002	350,000	499,753	70.0%	34	39	73	4,794	53	63	156	32	ap2003
2003	425,567	521,529	81.6%	32	33	65	6,547	51	47	138	32	ap2004
2004	428,702	521,529	82.2%	29	33	62	6,914	54	46	142	33	ap2005
2013	468,000	570,000	82.1%	29	31	60	7,800	62	37	127	33	ap2014
2016	394,800	623,720	63.3%	32	31	63	6,266	58	37	115	33	ap2017
2019	409,700	672,300	60.9%	31	26	57	7,187	58	31	114	33	ap2020
2021	421,000	691,000	60.9%	34	25	59	7,135	65	27	114	34	ap2022

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Enrique José Balzan Caruana (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Apr 2024)
• Manuel Gerardo Donoso Donoso, SS.CC. (Auxiliary Bishop: 28 Jun 1996; Archbishop: 16 Apr 1997 to 14 Dec 2013)
• Luis Gleisner Wobbe (Auxiliary Bishop: 10 Jul 2001 to 21 Nov 2014)
• René Osvaldo Rebolledo Salinas (Archbishop: 14 Dec 2013)

  ---

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Pedro Aguilera Narbona † (Priest: 17 Dec 1932 to 15 Sep 1941)
• José María Caro Rodríguez † (Bishop: 14 Dec 1925; Archbishop: 20 May 1939 to 28 Aug 1939)
• Guillermo Juan Carter Gallo † (Priest: 23 Dec 1865; Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Jun 1893 to 12 Jun 1895)
• Alfredo Cifuentes Gómez † (Archbishop: 5 Jun 1943 to 10 Mar 1967)
• Francisco José Cox Huneeus, P. Schönstatt † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 22 Jan 1985; Archbishop: 29 Sep 1990 to 16 Apr 1997)
• Justo Donoso Vivanco † (Bishop: 10 Mar 1853 to 22 Feb 1868)
• Florencio Eduardo Fontecilla Sánchez † (Bishop: 26 Jun 1890 to 1 Mar 1909)
• Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín † (Archbishop: 28 Jun 1967 to 3 May 1983)
• Ramón Ángel Jara Ruz † (Bishop: 31 Aug 1909 to 1 Mar 1917)
• José Agustín de la Sierra Mercado † (Bishop: 22 Jul 1842 to 31 Aug 1851)
• Arturo Mery Beckdorf † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 27 Apr 1963 to 1967)
• José Manuel Orrego Pizarro † (Bishop: 21 Dec 1868 to 17 Sep 1887)
• Daniel-Joseph-Louis-Marie Pézeril †
• Manuel José Bernardino Piñera Carvallo † (Archbishop: 1 Jul 1983 to 29 Sep 1990)
• Carlos Silva Cotapos † (Bishop: 20 Feb 1918 to 14 Dec 1925)
• Eduardo Solar Vicuña † (Priest: 21 Mar 1885; Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Sep 1914 to 19 Mar 1920)
• Juan Subercaseaux Errázuriz † (Archbishop: 8 Jan 1940 to 9 Aug 1942)
• José del Carmen Valle Gallardo † (Priest: 17 Dec 1932 to 25 Jul 1963)

Source(s)

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