Diocese of

Juazeiro

Brazil

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Juazeiro / Iuazeirien(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Feira de Santana

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Nossa Senhora das Grotas (September 8)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1962.07.22: Established as Diocese of Juazeiro / Iuazeirien(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Barra and Diocese of Bonfim and became suffragan of São Salvador da Bahia)
2002.01.16: Became suffragan of Feira de Santana
2011.06.17: Gained territory from Diocese of Paulo Afonso

Present Prelates

Bishop (2024.07.11 – ...):

Bishop Valdemir Vicente Andrade Santos (52)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Juazeiro (Roman Rite)

Bishop Valdemir Vicente Andrade Santos (52)
(2024.07.11 – ...)

Bishop of Juazeiro (Brazil)

Fazei tudo para a glória de Deus

Born:	1973.01.05 (Aracuju, SE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	2001.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	2018.08.24

Priest of Aracaju (Brazil) (2001.08.24 – 2018.07.11)

Titular Bishop of Castabala (2018.07.11 – 2024.07.11)

Auxiliary Bishop of Fortaleza (Brazil) (2018.07.11 – 2024.07.11)

Bishop of Juazeiro (Brazil) (2024.07.11 – ...)

Bishop Carlos Alberto Breis Pereira, O.F.M. (60) (later Archbishop)
(2016.09.07 – 2023.11.08)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maceió (Brazil)

Natus nobis in via

Born:	1965.09.16 (São Francisco do Sul, SC, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1994.08.20
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.05.07

Coadjutor Bishop of Juazeiro (Brazil) (2016.02.17 – 2016.09.07)

Bishop of Juazeiro (Brazil) (2016.09.07 – 2023.11.08)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Maceió (Brazil) (2023.11.08 – 2024.04.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maceió (Brazil) (2024.04.03 – ...)

Bishop José Geraldo da Cruz, A.A.
(2003.06.04 – 2016.09.07)

Venha a nós o vosso Reino

Born:	1941.08.08 (Muriaé, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1969.05.01
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.08.16
Died:	2022.04.04 (Muriaé, MG, Brazil † 80)

Bishop of Juazeiro (Brazil) (2003.06.04 – 2016.09.07)

Bishop José Rodrigues de Souza, C.SS.R.
(1974.12.12 – 2003.06.04)

Evangelizare misit me

Born:	1926.03.25 (Paraíba do Sul, RJ, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1950.12.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1975.02.09
Died:	2012.09.09 († 86)

Bishop of Juazeiro (Brazil) (1974.12.12 – 2003.06.04)

Bishop Tomás Guilherme Murphy, C.SS.R.
(1962.10.16 – 1973.12.29)

A Jesus por Maria

Born:	1917.12.17 (Omaha, NE, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1943.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1963.01.02
Died:	1995.07.06 (Richmond Heights, MO, USA † 77)

Bishop of Juazeiro (Brazil) (1962.10.16 – 1973.12.29)

Titular Bishop of Sululos (1973.12.29 – 1995.07.06)

Auxiliary Bishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (1973.12.29 – 1995.07.06)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Carlos Alberto Breis Pereira, O.F.M. (60) (later Archbishop) (2016.02.17 – 2016.09.07)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nossa Senhora das Grotas, Juazeiro, Bahia

Churches by City (18)

Irecê (↙), Barra (↙), São Raimundo Nonato (↖), Petrolina (↑), Bonfim (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 57,801 km²

Population: 416,000 Catholics (76.6% of 542,939 total)

Pastoral Centres: 19 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 34 priests (26 diocesan, 8 religious), 34 religious (9 brothers, 25 sisters), 11 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.11.23

© 2025 GCatholic.org