Santa Marta (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Past and Present Ordinaries

Alfonso de Tobes † (9 Jan 1534 Appointed - Did Not Take Effect)
Juan Fernando Angulo † (6 Sep 1536 Appointed - Jul 1542 Died)
Martín de Calatayud, O.S.H. † (19 Dec 1543 Appointed - 9 Nov 1548 Died)
Juan de los Barrios, O.F.M. Obs. † (2 Apr 1552 Appointed - 11 Sep 1562 Appointed, Bishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
Juan Méndez de Villafranca, O.P. † (14 Apr 1577 Appointed - Dec 1577 Died)
Sebastián Ocando, O.F.M. Obs. † (6 Feb 1579 Appointed - 21 Jun 1619 Died)
Leonel de Cervantes y Caravajal † (17 Mar 1621 Appointed - 1 Dec 1625 Appointed, Bishop of Santiago de Cuba)
Lucas García Miranda † (15 Dec 1625 Confirmed - 11 Mar 1629 Died)
Antonio Corderiña Vega, O.S.A. † (16 Dec 1630 Appointed - 1640 Resigned)
Juan de Espinoza y Orozco, O.P. † (16 Jun 1642 Confirmed - 6 Aug 1651 Died)
Francisco de la Cruz, O.P. † (25 Feb 1658 Confirmed - 24 Apr 1660 Died)
Francisco de la Trinidad Arrieta, O.P. † (5 Sep 1661 Appointed - 18 Dec 1663 Died)
Melchor de Liñán y Cisneros † (6 Oct 1664 Appointed - 26 Jan 1668 Appointed, Bishop of Popayán)
Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita † (27 Feb 1668 Appointed - 16 Nov 1676 Appointed, Bishop of Panamá)
Diego de Baños y Sotomayor † (13 Sep 1677 Appointed - 15 Feb 1683 Confirmed, Bishop of Caracas, Santiago de Venezuela)
Gregorius Jacobus Pastrana † (24 Apr 1684 Appointed - 26 Oct 1690 Died)
Juan Víctores de Velasco, O.S.B. † (19 Jul 1694 Appointed - 28 Nov 1707 Appointed, Bishop of Trujillo)
Ludovicus de Gayoso, O. Cist. † (30 Aug 1713 Appointed - Dec 1713 Died)
Antonio Monroy y Meneses, O. de M. † (21 Jan 1715 Appointed - 1 Sep 1738 Resigned)
José Ignacio Mijares Solórzano y Tobar † (11 Nov 1740 Confirmed - 21 May 1742 Died)
Juan Nieto Polo del Aguila † (15 Jul 1743 Confirmed - 28 Nov 1746 Confirmed, Bishop of Quito)
José Javier de Arauz y Rojas † (28 Nov 1746 Confirmed - 28 May 1753 Confirmed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
Ferdinand Camacho y Rojas † (28 May 1753 Confirmed - 18 Aug 1754 Died)
Nicolás Gil Martínez y Malo † (4 Aug 1755 Appointed - 4 Apr 1763 Died)
Agustín Manuel Camacho y Rojas, O.P. † (20 Aug 1764 Confirmed - 4 Mar 1771 Appointed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
Francisco Javier Calvo † (4 Mar 1771 Appointed - 22 Dec 1773 Died)
Francisco Navarro Acevedo † (13 Mar 1775 Appointed - 19 Sep 1788 Died)
Anselmo José de Fraga y Márquez † (29 Mar 1790 Appointed - 22 Mar 1793 Died)
José Alejandro de Egües y Villamar † (1 Jun 1795 Appointed - 26 Oct 1796 Died)
Diego Santamaría Cevallos, O.F.M. Obs. † (17 Apr 1798 Appointed - 10 Oct 1801 Died)
Eugenio Sesé, C.R.S.A. † (28 Sep 1801 Appointed - 31 Oct 1803 Died)
Miguel Sánchez Cerrudo, O.F.M. Obs. † (20 Aug 1804 Appointed - 4 Aug 1810 Died)
Manuel Redondo y Gómez † (19 Apr 1811 Appointed - 1813 Died)
Antonio Gómez Polanco, O.F.M. Obs. † (28 Jul 1817 Confirmed - 13 Dec 1820 Died)
José María Estévez † (21 May 1827 Appointed - 15 Oct 1834 Died)
José Luis Serrano † (1 Feb 1836 Appointed - 12 May 1852 Died)
Bernabé Rojas, O.P. † (13 Jan 1854 Appointed - 13 Apr 1858 Died)
Vicente Arbeláez Gómez † (13 May 1859 Appointed - 9 Dec 1864 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
José Romero † (6 Dec 1864 Appointed - 22 Sep 1891 Died)
Rafael Celedón † (17 Dec 1891 Appointed - 10 Dec 1902 Died)
Francisco Simón y Ródenas, O.F.M. Cap. † (5 Jul 1904 Appointed - 2 Dec 1912 Resigned)
Francisco Cristóbal Toro † (16 Dec 1913 Appointed - 8 Feb 1917 Appointed, Bishop of Antioquía-Jericó)
Joaquín Garcia Benitez, C.I.M. † (15 Sep 1917 Appointed - 14 May 1942 Appointed, Archbishop of Medellín)
Bernardo Botero Álvarez, C.M. † (5 Jul 1944 Appointed - 29 May 1956 Appointed, Archbishop of Nueva Pamplona)
Norberto Forero y García † (27 May 1956 Appointed - 2 Jun 1971 Retired)
Javier Naranjo Villegas † (2 Jun 1971 Appointed - 24 Jul 1980 Resigned)
Félix María Torres Parra † (11 Dec 1980 Appointed - 11 May 1987 Appointed, Archbishop of Barranquilla)
Hugo Eugenio Puccini Banfi (4 Dec 1987 Appointed - 5 Aug 2014 Retired)
Luis Adriano Piedrahíta Sandoval † (5 Aug 2014 Appointed - 11 Jan 2021 Died)
José Mario Bacci Trespalacios, C.I.M. (19 Nov 2021 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
10 January 1534	Erected	Diocese of Santo Domingo	Diocese of Santa Marta (erected)
11 September 1562	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santa Marta	Diocese of Santafé en Nueva Granada (erected)
17 January 1905	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santa Marta	Vicariate Apostolic of Goajira (erected)
2 April 1928	Territory Lost	Diocese of Nueva Pamplona Diocese of Santa Marta Diocese of Socorro y San Gil	Territorial Prelature of Río Magdalena (erected)
1 August 1951	Territory Lost	Diocese of Nueva Pamplona (Northern part of the territory to the east) Diocese of Santa Marta (Norte Santander)	Territorial Prelature of Bertrania en el Catatumbo (erected)
26 October 1962	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Barrancabermeja (Tamalameque, La Gloria, and Gamarra and portions of Aguachica and Rio de Oro) Diocese of Santa Marta (Ocaña, La Playa, Ábrego, Bucarasica, Villa Caro, and González and portions of EI Carmen, Convención, Teorama, San Calixto, Hacarí, Rio de Oro, Aguachica, and Sardinata)	Diocese of Ocaña (erected)
25 April 1969	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Santa Marta (from Cartagena)
17 January 2006	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santa Marta (Immaculate Conception (Plato); Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (El Banco); Our Lady of Santa Ana; Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Guamal); San Sebastián de Tenerife; San Sebastian; San Zenón; Santa Catalina de Alejandría (Chibolo), and Santo Cristo (Ariguani)) Diocese of Valledupar (Inmaculada Concepción en Chimichagua and San Martín en Astrea)	Diocese of El Banco (erected)

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

1950 400,000 405,000 98.8% 53 26 79 5,063 30 133 36 ap1951

1965 495,000 500,000 99.0% 45 15 60 8,250 15 145 29 ap1967

1968 600,000 611,000 98.2% 45 14 59 10,169 18 134 33 ap1971

1976 634,000 695,000 91.2% 36 13 49 12,938 17 158 36 ap1977

1980 653,000 667,000 97.9% 39 7 46 14,195 13 160 39 ap1981

1990 1,000,000 1,138,000 87.9% 43 11 54 18,518 18 120 44 ap1991

1999 1,096,952 1,218,836 90.0% 65 10 75 14,626 1 15 129 45 ap2000

2000 1,096,952 1,218,836 90.0% 71 14 85 12,905 1 19 134 48 ap2001

2001 1,096,652 1,218,836 90.0% 75 15 90 12,185 20 137 51 ap2002

2002 1,096,952 1,218,836 90.0% 76 14 90 12,188 1 22 133 50 ap2003

2003 1,096,952 1,218,836 90.0% 79 14 93 11,795 19 140 55 ap2004

2004 922,200 1,108,496 83.2% 77 13 90 10,246 1 16 111 51 ap2005

2010 680,000 780,000 87.2% 72 10 82 8,292 1 12 70 50 ap2011

2014 737,100 833,600 88.4% 67 13 80 9,213 1 17 65 53 ap2015

2017 776,858 855,000 90.9% 73 11 84 9,248 1 11 57 53 ap2018

2020 809,000 925,000 87.5% 68 12 80 10,112 1 14 41 58 ap2021

2022 855,000 950,000 90.0% 65 7 72 11,875 1 9 33 55 ap2023

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	400,000	405,000	98.8%	53	26	79	5,063		30	133	36	ap1951
1965	495,000	500,000	99.0%	45	15	60	8,250		15	145	29	ap1967
1968	600,000	611,000	98.2%	45	14	59	10,169		18	134	33	ap1971
1976	634,000	695,000	91.2%	36	13	49	12,938		17	158	36	ap1977
1980	653,000	667,000	97.9%	39	7	46	14,195		13	160	39	ap1981
1990	1,000,000	1,138,000	87.9%	43	11	54	18,518		18	120	44	ap1991
1999	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	65	10	75	14,626	1	15	129	45	ap2000
2000	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	71	14	85	12,905	1	19	134	48	ap2001
2001	1,096,652	1,218,836	90.0%	75	15	90	12,185		20	137	51	ap2002
2002	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	76	14	90	12,188	1	22	133	50	ap2003
2003	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	79	14	93	11,795		19	140	55	ap2004
2004	922,200	1,108,496	83.2%	77	13	90	10,246	1	16	111	51	ap2005
2010	680,000	780,000	87.2%	72	10	82	8,292	1	12	70	50	ap2011
2014	737,100	833,600	88.4%	67	13	80	9,213	1	17	65	53	ap2015
2017	776,858	855,000	90.9%	73	11	84	9,248	1	11	57	53	ap2018
2020	809,000	925,000	87.5%	68	12	80	10,112	1	14	41	58	ap2021
2022	855,000	950,000	90.0%	65	7	72	11,875	1	9	33	55	ap2023