Roman Catholic Diocese of Caacupé explained

Jurisdiction:	Diocese
Caacupé
Latin:	Dioecesis Caacupensis
Country:	Paraguay
Rite:	Latin Rite
Area Km2:	4,948
Population:	234,803
Population As Of:	2004
Catholics:	230,125
Catholics Percent:	98.0
Bishop:	Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Rios

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Caacupé (Latin: Dioecesis Caacupensis) is a Latin Rite suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Archdiocese of Asunción, which covers all and only Paraguay.

Its cathedral episcopal see is a Minor Basilica and National Shrine: Catedral Basílica Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, dedicated to Our Lady of Miracles, in the city of Caacupé, in Cordillera Department.

History

• On 2 August 1960, the Territorial Prelature of Caacupé was established on territories split off from the Archdiocese of Asunción (still its Metropolitan) and from the Diocese of Concepción
• Promoted on 29 March 1967 as Diocese of Caacupé
• It enjoyed Papal visits from Pope John Paul II in May 1988 and Pope Francis in July 2015.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 262,724 Catholics (93.0% of 282,481 total) on 4,984 km² in 20 parishes and 2 missions with 29 priests (24 diocesan, 5 religious), 2 deacons, 44 lay religious (7 brothers, 37 sisters), 6 seminarians.

Bishops

(all Roman Rite)

Ordinaries

Territorial Prelate of Caacupé

• Bishop-Prelate Ismael Blas Rolón Silvero, Salesians (S.D.B.) (August 2, 1960 – March 29, 1967 see below), Titular Bishop of Fornos Major (1965.10.20 – 1967.03.29)

Suffragan Bishops of Caacupé

• Ismael Blas Rolón Silvero, (S.D.B.) (see above March 29, 1967 – June 16, 1970), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (1970.06.16 – retired 1989.05.20), President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1985 – 1989), died 2010
• Demetrio Ignacio Aquino Aquino (June 12, 1971 – retired November 1, 1994), died 2003
• Apostolic Administrator Eustaquio Pastor Cuquejo Verga, Redemptorists (C.SS.R.) (1994.11 – 1995.06.03), Titular Bishop of Ofena (1992.05.05 – 1998.03.07), while Military Ordinary of Paraguay (1992.05.05 – 2002.06.15), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (2002.06.15 – retired 2014.11.06), President of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (2008.04 – 2011)
• Catalino Claudio Giménez Medina (June 3, 1995.06.03 – 29 June 2017), also President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2002 – 2005 & 2011.11 – ...); previously Titular Bishop of Horæa (1991.11.08 – 1995.06.03) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Asunción (Paraguay) (1991.11.08 – 1995.06.03)
• Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Ríos (29 June 2017 – ...), 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), Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (2010.06.25 – 2017.06.29), 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 – ...).

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

• Juan Bautista Gavilán Velásquez, appointed Bishop of Concepción (Santissima Concezione) en Paraguay in 1994
• Miguel Ángel Cabello Almada, appointed Bishop of Concepción (Santissima Concezione) en Paraguay in 2013

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org, with incumbent biography links - data for all sections
• Catholic Hierarchy

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