Diocese of Santiago de María, El Salvador

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1954.12.02: Established as Diocese of Santiago de María (español) / Sancti Iacobi de Maria (Latin) (from Diocese of San Miguel and became suffragan of San Salvador)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2016.01.04 – ...):

Bishop William Ernesto Iraheta Rivera (61)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador

Ordinaries

Bishops of Santiago de María (Roman Rite)

Bishop William Ernesto Iraheta Rivera (61)
(2016.01.04 – ...)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador)
General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador

Dixere Evangelium in lætitia

Born:	1962.01.24 (Jayaque, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1988.12.27
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.03.12

Priest of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1988.12.27 – 2016.01.04)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador) (2016.01.04 – ...)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (2016.02? – ...)

Bishop Rodrigo Orlando Cabrera Cuéllar
(1983.12.23 – 2016.01.04)

Born:	1938.03.14 (Teotepeque, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1962.01.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1984.02.11
Died:	2022.06.14 (Santiago de Maria, El Salvador † 84)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador) (1983.12.23 – 2016.01.04)

Bishop Arturo Rivera Damas, S.D.B. (later Archbishop)
(1977.09.19 – 1983.02.28)

Born:	1923.09.30
Ordained Priest:	1953.09.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1960.10.23
Died:	1994.11.26 († 71)

Titular Bishop of Legia (1960.07.30 – 1977.09.19)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1960.07.30 – 1977.09.19)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador) (1977.09.19 – 1983.02.28)

Apostolic Administrator of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1980 – 1983.02.28)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1983.02.28 – 1994.11.26)

President of Episcopal Secretariat of Central America and Panama (1984 – 1988)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1992 – 1994)

Bishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (later Archbishop, Saint)
(1974.10.15 – 1977.02.03)

Sentire cum Ecclesia

Born:	1917.08.15 (Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1942.04.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.06.21
Died:	1980.03.24 🩸 (San Salvador, El Salvador † 62)
Beatified:	2015.05.23 (San Salvador, El Salvador)
Canonised:	2018.10.14

Titular Bishop of Tambeæ (1970.04.25 – 1974.10.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1970.04.25 – 1974.10.15)

General Secretary of Episcopal Secretariat of Central America and Panama (1971 – 1972)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador) (1974.10.15 – 1977.02.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1977.02.03 – 1980.03.24)

Archbishop. Martyr.

Bishop Francisco José Castro y Ramírez
(1956.11.15 – 1974.05.29)

Born:	1901.10.04 (El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1925.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1957.01.27
Died:	1974.05.29 († 72)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador) (1956.11.15 – 1974.05.29)

Bishop Miguel Angel Machado y Escobar
(Apostolic Administrator 1955 – 1956.11.15)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de Santiago Apóstol, Santiago de María, Usulután

Churches by City (38)

Zacatecoluca (↙), San Vicente (↖), Gracias (↖), San Miguel (→)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 2,868 km²

Population: 330,000 Catholics (64.7% of 510,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 42 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 88 priests (83 diocesan, 5 religious), 100 religious (36 brothers, 64 sisters), 18 seminarians