Diocese of Almería

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Bishop(s) Adolfo González Montes, Bishop Rosendo Alvarez Gastón, Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 1492 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Granada Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Spain Square Kilometers: 8,774 (3,388 Square Miles) Official Web Site: http://www.diocesisalmeria.org/ Mailing Address: Obispado, Plaza de la Catedral 1, 04001 Almeria, Espana Telephone: 950.23.26.00 Fax: 950.27.29.85

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Francisco Sosa † (1 Jun 1515 Appointed - 1 Jul 1520 Died)
• Juan González Meneses † (17 Sep 1520 Appointed - 28 Jun 1521 Died)
• Diego Fernández de Villalán, O.F.M. † (17 Jul 1523 Appointed - 7 Jul 1556 Died)
• Antonio Corrionero de Babilafuente † (10 Dec 1557 Appointed - 13 May 1570 Died)
• Francisco Briceño † (5 Mar 1571 Appointed - 30 Jul 1571 Died)
• Diego González † (9 Jun 1572 Appointed - 11 Jan 1587 Died)
• Juan García † (17 Aug 1597 Appointed - 31 Dec 1601 Died)
• Juan Portocarrero, O.F.M. † (26 Aug 1602 Appointed - 8 Mar 1631 Died)
• Antonio Viedma Chaves, O.P. † (8 Mar 1631 Succeeded - 9 Jun 1631 Died)
• Bartolomé Santos de Risoba † (6 Jun 1633 Appointed - 26 Sep 1633 Appointed, Bishop of León)
• Antonio González Acevedo † (19 Dec 1633 Appointed - 5 Oct 1637 Appointed, Bishop of Coria)
• José Valle de la Cerda, O.S.B. † (19 Nov 1637 Appointed - 17 Dec 1640 Appointed, Bishop of Badajoz)
• José Argáiz Pérez † (1 Jul 1641 Appointed - 4 Dec 1645 Appointed, Bishop of Avila)
• Luis Venegas Figueroa † (5 Feb 1646 Appointed - 30 May 1651 Died)
• Juan Leyva † (8 Aug 1701 Appointed - 15 Mar 1704 Died)
• Juan Bonilla Vargas, O.SS.T. † (15 Dec 1704 Appointed - 11 Apr 1710 Appointed, Bishop of Córdoba)
• Manuel de Santo Tomás Mendoza, O.P. † (7 Jun 1707 Appointed - 11 Dec 1713 Appointed, Bishop of Málaga)
• Jerónimo del Valle Ledesma † (21 Mar 1714 Appointed - 12 Nov 1722 Died)
• José Pereto Ricarte, O. de M. † ( 1723 Ordained Bishop - 28 Mar 1730 Died)
• José María Ibáñez † (22 Nov 1730 Appointed - 8 Jan 1734 Died)
• Diego Felipe Perea Magdaleno † (17 Jan 1735 Appointed - 29 May 1741 Appointed, Archbishop of Burgos)
• Gaspar Molina Rocha, O.S.A. † (29 May 1741 Appointed - 4 Dec 1760 Died)
• Claudio Sanz Torres y Ruiz de Castañedo † (13 Jul 1761 Appointed - Jul 1779 Died)
• Anselmo Rodríguez, O.S.B. † (16 Sep 1780 Appointed - 14 Jan 1798 Died)
• Juan Antonio de la Virgen María (Viana), O.C.D. † (14 Aug 1798 Appointed - 28 Jan 1800 Died)
• Francisco Javier Mier Campillo † (24 May 1802 Appointed - 16 Dec 1815 Resigned)
• Antonio Pérez Minayo † (16 Mar 1818 Appointed - 29 Aug 1833 Died)
• Anacleto Meoro Sánchez † (17 Dec 1847 Appointed - 2 Jan 1864 Died)
• Andrés Rosales Muñoz † (27 Jul 1864 Appointed - 10 Oct 1872 Died)
• José María Orberá y Carrión † (23 Sep 1875 Appointed - 23 Nov 1886 Died)
• Santos Zárate y Martínez † (17 Mar 1887 Appointed - 7 Aug 1906 Died)
• Vicente Casanova y Marzol † (19 Dec 1907 Appointed - 7 Mar 1921 Appointed, Archbishop of Granada)
• Bernardo Martínez y Noval, O.S.A. † (18 Jul 1921 Appointed - 23 Jul 1934 Died)
• Bl. Diego Ventaja Milán † (1 May 1935 Appointed - 30 Aug 1936 Died)
• Enrique Delgado y Gómez † (10 Jun 1943 Appointed - 26 Oct 1946 Appointed, Bishop of Pamplona)
• Alfonso Ródenas García † (24 Apr 1947 Appointed - 7 Nov 1965 Died)
• Angel Suquía Goicoechea † (17 May 1966 Appointed - 28 Nov 1969 Appointed, Bishop of Málaga)
• Manuel Casares Hervás † (6 Apr 1970 Appointed - 12 May 1989 Resigned)
• Rosendo Alvarez Gastón (12 May 1989 Appointed - 15 Apr 2002 Retired)
• Adolfo González Montes (15 Apr 2002 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
1492	Erected		Diocese of Almería (erected)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1959	402,910	403,910	99.8%	176	14	190	2,120		47	239	170	ap1960
1970	386,003	397,303	97.2%	187	21	208	1,855		48	524	176	ap1971
1980	386,152	388,482	99.4%	157	25	182	2,121		43	554	214	ap1981
1990	456,000	458,000	99.6%	135	35	170	2,682		56	593	216	ap1991
1999	512,901	528,901	97.0%	134	35	169	3,034		56	464	218	ap2000
2000	504,700	534,200	94.5%	138	36	174	2,900		59	447	220	ap2001
2001	482,843	512,843	94.2%	133	35	168	2,874		56	416	222	ap2002
2002	491,168	533,168	92.1%	133	35	168	2,923		55	443	223	ap2003
2003	501,801	546,498	91.8%	133	36	169	2,969		54	433	223	ap2004
2004	519,503	565,310	91.9%	138	39	177	2,935		57	411	220	ap2005
2006	531,000	581,200	91.4%	128	37	165	3,218		55	425	211	ap2007

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

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Affiliated Bishops

• Rosendo Alvarez Gastón (Bishop: 12 May 1989 to 15 Apr 2002)
• José Argáiz Pérez † (Bishop: 1 Jul 1641 to 4 Dec 1645)
• Juan Bonilla Vargas, O.SS.T. † (Bishop: 15 Dec 1704 to 11 Apr 1710)
• Francisco Briceño † (Bishop: 5 Mar 1571 to 30 Jul 1571)
• Vicente Casanova y Marzol † (Bishop: 19 Dec 1907 to 7 Mar 1921)
• Manuel Casares Hervás † (Bishop: 6 Apr 1970 to 12 May 1989)
• Antonio Corrionero de Babilafuente † (Bishop: 10 Dec 1557 to 13 May 1570)
• Enrique Delgado y Gómez † (Bishop: 10 Jun 1943 to 26 Oct 1946)
• Diego Fernández de Villalán, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 17 Jul 1523 to 7 Jul 1556)
• Juan García † (Bishop: 17 Aug 1597 to 31 Dec 1601)
• Diego González † (Bishop: 9 Jun 1572 to 11 Jan 1587)
• Antonio González Acevedo † (Bishop: 19 Dec 1633 to 5 Oct 1637)
• Juan González Meneses † (Bishop: 17 Sep 1520 to 28 Jun 1521)
• Adolfo González Montes (Bishop: 15 Apr 2002)
• José María Ibáñez † (Bishop: 22 Nov 1730 to 8 Jan 1734)
• Juan Leyva † (Bishop: 8 Aug 1701 to 15 Mar 1704)
• Bernardo Martínez y Noval, O.S.A. † (Bishop: 18 Jul 1921 to 23 Jul 1934)
• Manuel de Santo Tomás Mendoza, O.P. † (Bishop: 7 Jun 1707 to 11 Dec 1713)
• Anacleto Meoro Sánchez † (Bishop: 17 Dec 1847 to 2 Jan 1864)
• Francisco Javier Mier Campillo † (Bishop: 24 May 1802 to 16 Dec 1815)
• Gaspar Molina Rocha, O.S.A. † (Bishop: 29 May 1741 to 4 Dec 1760)
• José María Orberá y Carrión † (Bishop: 23 Sep 1875 to 23 Nov 1886)
• Diego Felipe Perea Magdaleno † (Bishop: 17 Jan 1735 to 29 May 1741)
• José Pereto Ricarte, O. de M. † (Bishop: 1723 to 28 Mar 1730)
• Antonio Pérez Minayo † (Bishop: 16 Mar 1818 to 29 Aug 1833)
• Juan Portocarrero, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 26 Aug 1602 to 8 Mar 1631)
• Enrique Reig y Casanova † (Priest: 1886 to 28 May 1914)
• Alfonso Ródenas García † (Bishop: 24 Apr 1947 to 7 Nov 1965)
• Anselmo Rodríguez, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 16 Sep 1780 to 14 Jan 1798)
• Andrés Rosales Muñoz † (Bishop: 27 Jul 1864 to 10 Oct 1872)
• Bartolomé Santos de Risoba † (Bishop: 6 Jun 1633 to 26 Sep 1633)
• Claudio Sanz Torres y Ruiz de Castañedo † (Bishop: 13 Jul 1761 to Jul 1779)
• Francisco Sosa † (Bishop: 1 Jun 1515 to 1 Jul 1520)
• Angel Suquía Goicoechea † (Bishop: 17 May 1966 to 28 Nov 1969)
• José Valle de la Cerda, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 19 Nov 1637 to 17 Dec 1640)
• Jerónimo del Valle Ledesma † (Bishop: 21 Mar 1714 to 12 Nov 1722)
• Luis Venegas Figueroa † (Bishop: 5 Feb 1646 to 30 May 1651)
• Bl. Diego Ventaja Milán † (Bishop: 1 May 1935 to 30 Aug 1936)
• Antonio Viedma Chaves, O.P. † (Coadjutor Bishop: 18 Mar 1630; Bishop: 8 Mar 1631 to 9 Jun 1631)
• Juan Antonio de la Virgen María (Viana), O.C.D. † (Bishop: 14 Aug 1798 to 28 Jan 1800)
• Santos Zárate y Martínez † (Bishop: 17 Mar 1887 to 7 Aug 1906)