Santiago de Cuba (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Dionisio Guillermo García Ibáñez, Archbishop

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese
Elevated: 24 November 1803
Metropolitan See
Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: Cuba
Square Kilometers: 6,154 (2,376 Square Miles)
Official Web Site: http://www.arzobispadosantiagodecuba.org/
Mailing Address: Arzobispado, Sánchez Hechavarría 607, E/Barnaba y Paraiso, Santiago de Cuba 90100, Cuba
Telephone: (022)653.008; 625.480

Historical Details

Diocese of Baracoa (All Cuba) (Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa)
- Erected: 11 February 1516
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Sevilla {Seville}
- Country: Cuba
- Description: Cuba, Louisiana, and Florida
Diocese of Santiago de Cuba
- Latin Name: Sancti Iacobi in Cuba
- Name Changed: 28 April 1522
- Country: Cuba

Past and Present Ordinaries

Juan (Johannes) de Witte Hoos (Ubite), O.P. † (11 Feb 1516 Appointed - 4 Apr 1525 Resigned)
Sebastián de Salamanca, O.P. † ( 1525 Appointed - 1526 Died)
Miguel Ramírez de Salamanca, O.P. † (7 Nov 1530 Appointed - 1534 Died)
Diego de Sarmiento, O. Cart. † (20 Oct 1535 Appointed - 1544 Resigned)
Fernando de Uranga (Urango) † (4 Jul 1550 Appointed - 1556 Died)
Bernardino de Villalpando, C.R.S.A. † (27 Jun 1561 Appointed - 28 Apr 1564 Appointed, Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala)
Juan del Castillo † (28 Apr 1564 Appointed - 3 Oct 1578 Resigned)
Juan Antonio Diaz de Salcedo, O.F.M. Obs. † (14 Mar 1580 Appointed - 28 Jul 1597 Appointed, Bishop of Nicaragua)
Bartolomé de la Plaza, O.F.M. † (10 Nov 1597 Appointed - 1602 Died)
Juan de las Cabezas Altamirano † (15 Apr 1602 Appointed - 19 Jul 1610 Appointed, Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala)
Alonso Orozco Enriquez de Armendáriz Castellanos y Toledo, O. de M. † (30 Aug 1610 Appointed - 15 Apr 1624 Appointed, Bishop of Michoacán)
Gregorio de Alarcón, O.A.D. † (29 Apr 1624 Appointed - Aug 1624 Died)
Leonel de Cervantes y Caravajal † (1 Dec 1625 Appointed - 17 Dec 1629 Appointed, Bishop of Guadalajara, Jalisco)
Jerónimo Manrique de Lara y de Herrera, O. de M. † (7 Jan 1630 Appointed - 22 Jun 1644 Died)
Martín de Zelaya (Celaya) y Oláriz † (20 Nov 1645 Appointed - 1649 Resigned)
Nicolás de la Torre Muñoz † (13 Sep 1649 Appointed - 4 Jul 1653 Died)
Juan de Montiel † (14 May 1655 Appointed - 23 Dec 1657 Died)
Pedro de Reina Maldonado † (10 Nov 1659 Appointed - 9 Oct 1660 Died)
Juan de Sancto Mathía Sáenz de Mañozca y Murillo † (5 Sep 1661 Appointed - 27 Feb 1668 Appointed, Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala)
Alfonso Bernardo de los Ríos y Guzmán, O.SS.T. † (17 Sep 1668 Appointed - 16 Nov 1671 Appointed, Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo)
Gabriel Díaz Vara y Calderón † (14 Dec 1671 Appointed - 13 Mar 1676 Died)
Juan Antonio García de Palacios † (13 Sep 1677 Appointed - 1 Jun 1682 Died)
Baltasar de Figueroa, O. Cist. † (10 May 1683 Appointed - 8 Sep 1684 Died)
Diego Evelino Hurtado de Compostela (Vélez) † (4 Jun 1685 Confirmed - 29 Aug 1704 Died)
Jerónimo Nosti de Valdés, O.S.Bas. † (14 Dec 1705 Appointed - 29 Mar 1729 Died)
Francisco de Izarregui † ( 1730 Appointed - 1730 Resigned)
Gaspar de Molina y Oviedo, O.E.S.A. † (11 Sep 1730 Appointed - 18 Jun 1731 Appointed, Bishop of Barcelona)
José Laso de la Vega y Cansino, O.F.M. † (19 Nov 1731 Appointed - 19 Aug 1752 Died)
Pedro Agustín Morell de Santa Cruz y Lora † (28 May 1753 Confirmed - 30 Dec 1768 Died)
Santiago José Hechavarría y Elguesúa † (29 Jan 1770 Confirmed - 10 Mar 1788 Appointed, Bishop of Tlaxcala (Puebla de los Angeles))
Antonio Feliú y Centena † (30 Mar 1789 Appointed - 25 Jun 1791 Died)
Joaquín de Osés y Alzúa y Caparacio † (3 Dec 1792 Appointed - 7 Feb 1823 Died)
Mariano Rodríguez de Olmedo y Valle † (21 Mar 1825 Confirmed - 23 Jan 1831 Died)
Cirilo de Alameda y Brea, O.F.M. Obs. † (30 Sep 1831 Confirmed - 20 Apr 1849 Confirmed, Archbishop of Burgos)
St. Antonio María Claret y Clará, C.M.F. † (20 May 1850 Confirmed - 20 Jul 1859 Resigned)
Manuel María Negueruela Mendi † (26 Sep 1859 Confirmed - 30 Jun 1861 Died)
Primo Calvo y López † (23 Dec 1861 Confirmed - 7 Oct 1868 Died)
José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia † (5 Jul 1875 Confirmed - 14 Feb 1889 Appointed, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela)
José María Cos y Macho † (14 Feb 1889 Appointed - 11 Jul 1892 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Madrid)
Francisco Sáenz de Urturi y Crespo, O.F.M. Obs. † (21 May 1894 Appointed - 27 Apr 1899 Resigned)
Francisco de Paula Barnada y Aguilar † (2 Jun 1899 Appointed - 8 Jun 1913 Died)
Felix Ambrosio Guerra, S.D.B. † (17 Apr 1916 Appointed - 16 Jan 1925 Resigned)
Valentín de la Asunción (Manuel) Zubizarreta y Unamunsaga, O.C.D. † (30 Mar 1925 Appointed - 26 Feb 1948 Died)
Enrique Pérez Serantes † (11 Dec 1948 Appointed - 18 Apr 1968 Died)
Pedro Claro Meurice Estiu † (4 Jul 1970 Appointed - 10 Feb 2007 Retired)
Dionisio Guillermo García Ibáñez (10 Feb 2007 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Baracoa (All Cuba) (Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa)
11 February 1516	Erected	Diocese of Santo Domingo	Diocese of Baracoa (All Cuba) (Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa) (erected)
Diocese of Santiago de Cuba
28 April 1522	Name Changed	Diocese of Baracoa (All Cuba) (Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa)	Diocese of Santiago de Cuba
1527	Territory Added	Diocese of Concepción de la Vega (suppressed)	Diocese of Santiago de Cuba
12 February 1546	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Santiago de Cuba (From Seville (Spain) to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic))
10 September 1787	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santiago de Cuba	Diocese of San Cristobal de la Habana (erected) (Provinces of Santa Clara, Matanzas, Havana, and Pinar del Rio in Cuba and Florida and Louisiana)
Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba
24 November 1803	Elevated	Diocese of Santiago de Cuba	Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba
10 December 1912	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba (Camagüey)	Diocese of Camagüey (erected)
8 January 1979	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba (Las Tunas (Iobabo, Majibacoa, Manatí, Menéndez, Puerto Padre, and Tunas)	Diocese of Holguín (erected)
9 December 1995	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba (Granma)	Diocese of Santisimo Salvador de Bayamo y Manzanillo (erected)
24 January 1998	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba (Guantánamo)	Diocese of Guantánamo-Baracoa (erected)

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 Santiago de Cuba

1908 415,949 .0% 45 12 57 0 24 ocdw1909

1950 34 50 84 0 84 198 30 ap1951

1966 2,200,000 .0% 14 22 36 0 7 35 ap1967

1970 2,960,000 .0% 13 21 34 0 23 17 35 ap1971

1976 980,000 3,100,000 31.6% 21 15 36 27,222 17 15 35 ap1977

1980 540,000 2,200,000 24.5% 13 11 24 22,500 17 17 21 ap1981

1990 570,000 2,308,000 24.7% 16 11 27 21,111 14 33 21 ap1991

1999 241,000 1,909,000 12.6% 9 13 22 10,954 35 32 13 ap2000

2000 241,000 1,090,000 22.1% 9 13 22 10,954 24 30 13 ap2001

2001 246,000 1,090,000 22.6% 8 12 20 12,300 24 29 13 ap2002

2002 247,000 1,094,000 22.6% 9 14 23 10,739 26 33 13 ap2003

2003 248,000 1,041,374 23.8% 8 12 20 12,400 15 31 13 ap2004

2004 248,000 1,041,374 23.8% 8 12 20 12,400 2 17 33 13 ap2005

2010 255,500 1,050,000 24.3% 15 11 26 9,826 4 17 36 16 ap2011

2014 254,300 1,047,181 24.3% 15 13 28 9,082 2 21 34 16 ap2015

2017 256,730 1,057,402 24.3% 15 11 26 9,874 2 27 31 16 ap2018

2020 253,700 1,047,300 24.2% 22 9 31 8,183 3 15 35 16 ap2021

2022 250,660 1,035,540 24.2% 22 12 34 7,372 2 17 34 16 ap2023

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 Santiago de Cuba
1908		415,949	.0%	45	12	57	0				24	ocdw1909
1950				34	50	84	0		84	198	30	ap1951
1966		2,200,000	.0%	14	22	36	0			7	35	ap1967
1970		2,960,000	.0%	13	21	34	0		23	17	35	ap1971
1976	980,000	3,100,000	31.6%	21	15	36	27,222		17	15	35	ap1977
1980	540,000	2,200,000	24.5%	13	11	24	22,500		17	17	21	ap1981
1990	570,000	2,308,000	24.7%	16	11	27	21,111		14	33	21	ap1991
1999	241,000	1,909,000	12.6%	9	13	22	10,954		35	32	13	ap2000
2000	241,000	1,090,000	22.1%	9	13	22	10,954		24	30	13	ap2001
2001	246,000	1,090,000	22.6%	8	12	20	12,300		24	29	13	ap2002
2002	247,000	1,094,000	22.6%	9	14	23	10,739		26	33	13	ap2003
2003	248,000	1,041,374	23.8%	8	12	20	12,400		15	31	13	ap2004
2004	248,000	1,041,374	23.8%	8	12	20	12,400	2	17	33	13	ap2005
2010	255,500	1,050,000	24.3%	15	11	26	9,826	4	17	36	16	ap2011
2014	254,300	1,047,181	24.3%	15	13	28	9,082	2	21	34	16	ap2015
2017	256,730	1,057,402	24.3%	15	11	26	9,874	2	27	31	16	ap2018
2020	253,700	1,047,300	24.2%	22	9	31	8,183	3	15	35	16	ap2021
2022	250,660	1,035,540	24.2%	22	12	34	7,372	2	17	34	16	ap2023

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

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Cirilo de Alameda y Brea, O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 30 Sep 1831 to 20 Apr 1849)
Gregorio de Alarcón, O.A.D. † (Bishop: 29 Apr 1624 to Aug 1624)
Carlos Jesús Patricio Baladrón Valdés † (Priest: 2 Apr 1977 to 16 Nov 1991)
Francisco de Paula Barnada y Aguilar † (Archbishop: 2 Jun 1899 to 8 Jun 1913)
Juan de las Cabezas Altamirano † (Bishop: 15 Apr 1602 to 19 Jul 1610)
Primo Calvo y López † (Archbishop: 23 Dec 1861 to 7 Oct 1868)
Juan del Castillo † (Bishop: 28 Apr 1564 to 3 Oct 1578)
Leonel de Cervantes y Caravajal † (Bishop: 1 Dec 1625 to 17 Dec 1629)
St. Antonio María Claret y Clará, C.M.F. † (Archbishop: 20 May 1850 to 20 Jul 1859)
José María Cos y Macho † (Archbishop: 14 Feb 1889 to 11 Jul 1892)
Francisco de Izarregui † (Bishop: 1730 to 1730)
Bartolomé de la Plaza, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 10 Nov 1597 to 1602)
Nicolás de la Torre Muñoz † (Bishop: 13 Sep 1649 to 4 Jul 1653)
Sebastián de Salamanca, O.P. † (Bishop: 1525 to 1526)
Juan (Johannes) de Witte Hoos (Ubite), O.P. † (Bishop: 11 Feb 1516 to 4 Apr 1525)
Juan Antonio Diaz de Salcedo, O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 14 Mar 1580 to 28 Jul 1597)
Gabriel Díaz Vara y Calderón † (Bishop: 14 Dec 1671 to 13 Mar 1676)
Alonso Orozco Enriquez de Armendáriz Castellanos y Toledo, O. de M. † (Bishop: 30 Aug 1610 to 15 Apr 1624)
Antonio Feliú y Centena † (Bishop: 30 Mar 1789 to 25 Jun 1791)
Baltasar de Figueroa, O. Cist. † (Bishop: 10 May 1683 to 8 Sep 1684)
Juan Antonio García de Palacios † (Bishop: 13 Sep 1677 to 1 Jun 1682)
Felix Ambrosio Guerra, S.D.B. † (Apostolic Administrator: 26 May 1915; Archbishop: 17 Apr 1916 to 16 Jan 1925)
Santiago José Hechavarría y Elguesúa † (Priest: 24 Jun 1750; Auxiliary Bishop: 16 May 1768; Bishop: 29 Jan 1770 to 10 Mar 1788)
Diego Evelino Hurtado de Compostela (Vélez) † (Bishop: 4 Jun 1685 to 29 Aug 1704)
Juan Manuel de Irrizarri y Peralta †
José Laso de la Vega y Cansino, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 19 Nov 1731 to 19 Aug 1752)
Jerónimo Manrique de Lara y de Herrera, O. de M. † (Bishop: 7 Jan 1630 to 22 Jun 1644)
José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia † (Archbishop: 5 Jul 1875 to 14 Feb 1889)
José Francisco Martínez de Tejada y Díez de Velasco, O.F.M. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 3 Sep 1732 to 23 Aug 1745)
Pedro Claro Meurice Estiu † (Priest: 26 Jun 1955; Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Jul 1967; Archbishop: 4 Jul 1970 to 10 Feb 2007)
Gaspar de Molina y Oviedo, O.E.S.A. † (Bishop: 11 Sep 1730 to 18 Jun 1731)
Juan de Montiel † (Bishop: 14 May 1655 to 23 Dec 1657)
Pedro Agustín Morell de Santa Cruz y Lora † (Priest: 24 Apr 1716 to 20 Oct 1749; Bishop: 28 May 1753 to 30 Dec 1768)
Manuel María Negueruela Mendi † (Archbishop: 26 Sep 1859 to 30 Jun 1861)
Joaquín de Osés y Alzúa y Caparacio † (Bishop: 3 Dec 1792; Archbishop: 24 Nov 1803 to 7 Feb 1823)
Francisco Ricardo Oves Fernández † (Priest: 13 Apr 1952 to 25 Apr 1969)
Luis Ignatius Peñalver y Cárdenas † (Priest: 4 Apr 1772 to 12 Sep 1794)
Enrique Pérez Serantes † (Priest: 10 Sep 1910 to 24 Feb 1922; Archbishop: 11 Dec 1948 to 18 Apr 1968)
Pedro Ponce y Carrasco † (Auxiliary Bishop: 28 Nov 1746 to 20 Dec 1762)
Miguel Ramírez de Salamanca, O.P. † (Bishop: 7 Nov 1530 to 1534)
Pedro de Reina Maldonado † (Bishop: 10 Nov 1659 to 9 Oct 1660)
Dionisio Resino (Rezino) y Ormachea, O.S.B. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 14 Dec 1705 to 12 Sep 1711)
Alfonso Bernardo de los Ríos y Guzmán, O.SS.T. † (Bishop: 17 Sep 1668 to 16 Nov 1671)
Carlos Riu Anglés † (Priest: 2 Feb 1924 to 11 Dec 1948)
Mariano Rodríguez de Olmedo y Valle † (Archbishop: 21 Mar 1825 to 23 Jan 1831)
Francisco Rousset de Jesús y Rosas, O.F.M. Obs. †
Juan de Sancto Mathía Sáenz de Mañozca y Murillo † (Bishop: 5 Sep 1661 to 27 Feb 1668)
Francisco Sáenz de Urturi y Crespo, O.F.M. Obs. † (Archbishop: 21 May 1894 to 27 Apr 1899)
Diego de Sarmiento, O. Cart. † (Bishop: 20 Oct 1535 to 1544)
Francisco Antonio Pablo Sieni Flannings, O.F.M. Cap. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 25 Jun 1784 to 10 Sep 1787)
Fernando de Uranga (Urango) † (Bishop: 4 Jul 1550 to 1556)
Jerónimo Nosti de Valdés, O.S.Bas. † (Bishop: 14 Dec 1705 to 29 Mar 1729)
Bernardino de Villalpando, C.R.S.A. † (Bishop: 27 Jun 1561 to 28 Apr 1564)
Martín de Zelaya (Celaya) y Oláriz † (Bishop: 20 Nov 1645 to 1649)
Valentín de la Asunción (Manuel) Zubizarreta y Unamunsaga, O.C.D. † (Archbishop: 30 Mar 1925 to 26 Feb 1948)

Source(s)

Diocese of Baracoa (All Cuba) (Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa)
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 3, Page 182
Diocese of Santiago de Cuba
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 4, Page 206
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 5, Page 225
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 6, Page 240
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 146

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Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba

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