Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão

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Bishop(s) José Belisário da Silva, O.F.M., Archbishop Geraldo Dantas de Andrade, S.C.I., Auxiliary Bishop Paulo Eduardo Andrade Ponte, Archbishop Emeritus Suffragan Dioceses Bacabal Balsas Brejo Carolina Caxias do Maranhão Coroatá Grajaú Imperatriz Pinheiro Viana Zé-Doca

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese Elevated: 2 December 1921 Metropolitan See Rite: Latin (or Roman) State: Maranho Country: Brazil Square Kilometers: 11,622 (4,488 Square Miles) Conference Region: Nordeste 5 Mailing Address: C.P. 11, Avenida Dom Pedro II s/n, 65010-450 Sao Luis, MA, Brazil Telephone: (098)222-8532 Fax: 221-5927

Historical Details

• Diocese of São Luís do Maranhão
  • Latin Name: Sancti Ludovici in Maragnano
  • Erected: 30 August 1677
  • Country: Brazil

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Antônio de Santa Maria † ( 1677 Appointed - 1677 Died)
• Gregório dos Anjos, C.S.J. † (30 Aug 1677 Appointed - 11 May 1689 Died)
• Francisco de Lima (Lemos), O. Carm. † (19 Dec 1691 Appointed - 22 Aug 1695 Appointed, Bishop of Olinda)
• Timóteo do Sacramento, O.S.P. † (17 Dec 1696 Appointed - Apr 1714 Died)
• José Delgarte, O.SS.T. † (5 Oct 1716 Appointed - 23 Dec 1724 Died)
• Manoel da Cruz Nogueira, O. Cist. † (3 Sep 1738 Appointed - 15 Dec 1745 Appointed, Bishop of Mariana)
• Francisco de São Tiago, O.F.M. † (15 Dec 1745 Appointed - 12 Dec 1752 Died)
• Antônio de São José Moura Marinho, O.S.A. † (19 Jul 1756 Appointed - 20 Jul 1778 Appointed, Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia)
• Jacinto Carlos da Silveira † (1 Mar 1779 Appointed - 29 Apr 1780 Resigned)
• José do Menino Jesus (Deus), O.C.D. † (18 Sep 1780 Appointed - 18 Jul 1783 Appointed, Bishop of Viseu)
• Antônio de Pádua e Belas, O.F.M. † (18 Jul 1783 Appointed - 28 Aug 1794 Resigned)
• Joaquim Ferreira de Carvalho † (1 Jun 1795 Appointed - 26 Apr 1801 Died)
• Luiz de Brito Homem † (24 May 1802 Appointed - 10 Dec 1813 Died)
• Joaquim de Nossa Senhora de Nazareth Oliveira e Abreu, O.F.M. † (23 Aug 1819 Appointed - 3 May 1824 Appointed, Bishop of Coimbra)
• Marcos Antônio de Souza † (25 Jun 1827 Appointed - 29 Nov 1842 Died)
• Carlos de São José e Souza, O.C.D. † (22 Jan 1844 Appointed - 3 Apr 1850 Died)
• Manoel Joaquim da Silveira † (5 Sep 1851 Appointed - 5 Jan 1861 Appointed, Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia)
• Luiz da Conceição Saraiva, O.S.B. † (22 Jul 1861 Appointed - 26 Apr 1876 Died)
• Antônio Cândido Alvarenga † (21 Sep 1877 Appointed - 28 Nov 1898 Appointed, Bishop of São Paulo)
• Luis de Salles Pessoa † ( 1898 Appointed - 1898 Died)
• Antônio Xisto Albano † (23 Mar 1901 Appointed - 14 Dec 1905 Resigned)
• Santino Maria da Silva Coutinho † (9 Sep 1906 Appointed - 6 Dec 1906 Appointed, Archbishop of Belém do Pará, Para)
• Francisco de Paula Silva, C.M. † (18 Apr 1907 Appointed - 4 Jun 1918 Died)
• Helvécio Gomes de Oliveira, S.D.B. † (18 Jun 1918 Appointed - 10 Feb 1922 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Mariana, Minas Gerais)
• Octaviano Pereira de Albuquerque † (27 Oct 1922 Appointed - 16 Dec 1935 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Campos, Rio de Janeiro)
• Carlos Carmelo de Vasconcelos Motta † (19 Dec 1935 Appointed - 13 Aug 1944 Appointed, Archbishop of São Paulo, Sao Paulo)
• Adalberto Accioli Sobral † (18 Jan 1947 Appointed - 24 May 1951 Died)
• José de Medeiros Delgado † (4 Sep 1951 Appointed - 10 May 1963 Appointed, Archbishop of Fortaleza, Ceara)
• João José da Mota e Albuquerque † (28 Apr 1964 Appointed - 20 Mar 1984 Resigned)
• Paulo Eduardo Andrade Ponte (20 Mar 1984 Appointed - 21 Sep 2005 Resigned)
• José Belisário da Silva, O.F.M. (21 Sep 2005 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of São Luís do Maranhão
30 August 1677	Erected		Diocese of São Luís do Maranhão (erected)
4 March 1720	Territory Lost	Diocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Diocese of Belém do Pará (erected)
20 February 1902	Territory Lost	Diocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Diocese of Piaui (erected)
Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão
2 December 1921	Elevated	Diocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão
10 February 1922	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Territorial Prelature of São José do Grajaú (erected)
10 February 1922	Elevated		Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão (Became a Metropolitan)
22 July 1939	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Diocese of Caxias do Maranhão (erected)
22 July 1939	Territory Lost	Territorial Prelature of São José do Grajaú Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Territorial Prelature of Pinheiro (erected)
30 October 1962	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Diocese of Viana (erected)
22 June 1968	Territory Lost	Territorial Prelature of São José do Grajaú Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Diocese of Bacabal (erected)
14 September 1971	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Diocese of Brejo (erected)
26 August 1977	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão	Diocese of Coroatá (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
Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão
1948	780,000	800,000	97.5%	33	20	53	14,716		7	45	43	ap1951
1965	1,500,000	1,600,000	93.8%	51	38	89	16,853				51	ap1967
1976	512,000	837,000	61.2%	17	20	37	13,837		22	65	27	ap1977
1980	538,000	548,000	98.2%	21	26	47	11,446		29	155	17	ap1981
1990	804,000	905,000	88.8%	12	35	47	17,106		106	249	26	ap1991
1999	821,000	1,097,122	74.8%	51	48	99	8,292		112	241	33	ap2000
2000	879,027	1,172,036	75.0%	42	49	91	9,659		61	240	42	ap2001
2001	877,000	1,181,000	74.3%	43	49	92	9,532		61	240	30	ap2002
2002	870,000	1,172,036	74.2%	47	49	96	9,062		61	240	31	ap2003
2003	887,000	1,195,000	74.2%	46	49	95	9,336		61	240	32	ap2004
2004	887,000	1,195,000	74.2%	54	49	103	8,611		58	240	33	ap2005

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

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Paulo Eduardo Andrade Ponte (Archbishop: 20 Mar 1984 to 21 Sep 2005)
• Manuel Edmilson da Cruz (Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Aug 1966 to 3 Jul 1974)
• Geraldo Dantas de Andrade, S.C.I. (Auxiliary Bishop: 18 Feb 1998)
• José Belisário da Silva, O.F.M. (Archbishop: 21 Sep 2005 - )
• Xavier Gilles de Maupeou d’Ableiges (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Aug 1995 to 18 Feb 1998)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Adalberto Accioli Sobral † (Archbishop: 18 Jan 1947 to 24 May 1951)
• Antônio Cândido Alvarenga † (Bishop: 21 Sep 1877 to 28 Nov 1898)
• Otàvio Barbosa Aguiar † (Auxiliary Bishop: 6 Nov 1954 to 24 Feb 1956)
• Luiz de Brito Homem † (Bishop: 24 May 1802 to 10 Dec 1813)
• Manoel da Cruz Nogueira, O. Cist. † (Bishop: 3 Sep 1738 to 15 Dec 1745)
• João José da Mota e Albuquerque † (Archbishop: 28 Apr 1964 to 20 Mar 1984)
• Santino Maria da Silva Coutinho † (Bishop: 9 Sep 1906 to 6 Dec 1906)
• Jacinto Carlos da Silveira † (Bishop: 1 Mar 1779 to 29 Apr 1780)
• Manoel Joaquim da Silveira † (Bishop: 5 Sep 1851 to 5 Jan 1861)
• José Delgarte, O.SS.T. † (Bishop: 5 Oct 1716 to 23 Dec 1724)
• Francisco de Lima (Lemos), O. Carm. † (Bishop: 19 Dec 1691 to 22 Aug 1695)
• Luis de Salles Pessoa † (Bishop: 1898 to 1898)
• Antônio de Santa Maria † (Bishop: 1677 to 1677)
• Marcos Antônio de Souza † (Bishop: 25 Jun 1827 to 29 Nov 1842)
• José do Menino Jesus (Deus), O.C.D. † (Bishop: 18 Sep 1780 to 18 Jul 1783)
• Timóteo do Sacramento, O.S.P. † (Bishop: 17 Dec 1696 to Apr 1714)
• Gregório dos Anjos, C.S.J. † (Bishop: 30 Aug 1677 to 11 May 1689)
• Joaquim Ferreira de Carvalho † (Bishop: 1 Jun 1795 to 26 Apr 1801)
• Antônio Batista Fragoso † (Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Mar 1957 to 28 Apr 1964)
• Helvécio Gomes de Oliveira, S.D.B. † (Bishop: 18 Jun 1918; Archbishop: 2 Dec 1921 to 10 Feb 1922)
• José de Medeiros Delgado † (Archbishop: 4 Sep 1951 to 10 May 1963)
• Antônio de São José Moura Marinho, O.S.A. † (Bishop: 19 Jul 1756 to 20 Jul 1778)
• Joaquim de Nossa Senhora de Nazareth Oliveira e Abreu, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 23 Aug 1819 to 3 May 1824)
• Antônio de Pádua e Belas, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 18 Jul 1783 to 28 Aug 1794)
• Octaviano Pereira de Albuquerque † (Archbishop: 27 Oct 1922 to 16 Dec 1935)
• Carlos de São José e Souza, O.C.D. † (Bishop: 22 Jan 1844 to 3 Apr 1850)
• Francisco de São Tiago, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 15 Dec 1745 to 12 Dec 1752)
• Luiz da Conceição Saraiva, O.S.B. † (Bishop: 22 Jul 1861 to 26 Apr 1876)
• Francisco de Paula Silva, C.M. † (Bishop: 18 Apr 1907 to 4 Jun 1918)
• Carlos Carmelo de Vasconcelos Motta † (Archbishop: 19 Dec 1935 to 13 Aug 1944)
• Antônio Xisto Albano † (Bishop: 23 Mar 1901 to 14 Dec 1905)