Roman Catholic Diocese of San Juan Bautista de las Misiones explained

Jurisdiction:	Diocese
San Juan Bautista de las Misiones
Latin:	Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis Baptistae a Missionibus
Country:	Paraguay
Rite:	Latin Rite
Area Km2:	21,703
Population:	201,000
Population As Of:	2004
Catholics:	198,000
Catholics Percent:	98.5
Emeritus Bishops:	Mario Melanio Medina Salinas
Map:	Diócesis de San Juan Bautista de las Misiones.svg

The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Juan Bautista (de las Misiones) (Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis Baptistae a Missionibus) is a southern suffragan Latin Catholic diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Asunción, which covers all of Paraguay (except the pre-diocesan missions).

History

• On January 19, 1957, the Diocese of San Juan Bautista (de Las Misiones) was established on territories split off from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Asunción and from the Diocese of Villarrica^[1]

Special churches

Its cathedral episcopal see is Catedral San Juan Bautista, dedicated to John the Baptist, in the city of San Juan Bautista de las Misiones in Misiones Department

It also has a Minor Basilica : the Marian Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar, dedicated to Our Lady of Pilar, in Pilar, Paraguay, Ñeembucu.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 227,000 Catholics (98.3% of 231,000 total) on 21,700 km² in 30 parishes and 139 missions with 35 priests (19 diocesan, 16 religious), 2 deacons, 63 lay religious (18 brothers, 45 sisters) and 5 seminarians.^[2]

Bishops

(all Roman rite natives)

Episcopal ordinaries

Suffragan Bishops of San Juan Bautista de las Misiones ^[3]

• Ramón Bogarín Argaña (January 19, 1957 – death September 3, 1976), also President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1970 – 1973); previously Titular Bishop of Bagis (1954.12.01 – 1957.01.19) as Auxiliary Bishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (1954.12.01 – 1957.01.19)
• Carlos Milcíades Villalba Aquino (July 25, 1978 – retired July 22, 1999), died January 8, 2016
• Mario Melanio Medina Salinas (July 22, 1999 – retired 2017.02.16); previously Bishop of Benjamín Aceval (Paraguay) (1980.06.28 – 1997.07.08) and Coadjutor Bishop of San Juan Bautista (1997.07.08 – succession 1999.07.22)
• Pedro Collar Noguera (2017.02.16 – ...); previously Titular Bishop of Thamugadi (2016.04.23 – 2017.02.16) as Auxiliary Bishop of Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) (2016.04.23 – 2017.02.16).

Coadjutor bishop

• Mario Melanio Medina Salinas (1997-1999)

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in Paraguay

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org, with Google map and - satellite photo
• Catholic Hierarchy

Notes and References

1. Web site: Diocese of San Juan Bautista, Paraguay.
2. Web site: Diocese of San Juan Bautista, Paraguay.
3. Web site: Diocese of San Juan Bautista, Paraguay.