Diocese of Santa Marta

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Bishop(s) Hugo Eugenio Puccini Banfi, Bishop Javier Naranjo Villegas, Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 10 January 1534 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Barranquilla Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Colombia Square Kilometers: 23,876 (9,222 Square Miles) Mailing Address: Carrera 4 N. 16-42, Santa Marta [Magdalena], Colombia Telephone: (954)421.2643; 423.2671 Fax: 421.3661

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Juan Fernando Angulo † (6 Sep 1536 Appointed - Jul 1542 Died)
• Martín de Calatayud, O.S.H. † (19 Dec 1543 Appointed - 9 Nov 1548 Died)
• Juan de los Barrios, O.F.M. † (2 Apr 1552 Appointed - 22 Mar 1564 Appointed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
• Juan Méndez de Villafranca, O.P. † (14 Apr 1577 Appointed - Dec 1577 Died)
• Sebastián Ocando, O.F.M. † (6 Feb 1579 Appointed - 21 Jun 1619 Died)
• Leonel de Cervantes y Caravajal † (17 Mar 1621 Appointed - 1 Dec 1625 Appointed, Bishop of Santiago de Cuba)
• Lucas García Miranda † (15 Dec 1625 Appointed - 1629 Died)
• Antonio Corderina Vega, O.S.A. † (16 Dec 1630 Appointed - 26 May 1642 Appointed, Bishop of Ayacucho o Huamanga)
• Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita † ( 1660 Ordained Bishop - 1677 Appointed, Bishop of Panamá)
• Diego de Baños y Sotomayor † (13 Sep 1677 Appointed - 15 Feb 1683 Appointed, Bishop of Caracas, Santiago de Venezuela)
• Antonio Monroy Meneses, O. de M. † (12 Aug 1715 Appointed - 1 Sep 1738 Resigned)
• José Ignacio Mijares Solórzano y Tobar † (11 Nov 1740 Appointed - 1742 Died)
• Nicolás Gil Martínez y Malo † (4 Aug 1755 Appointed - 4 Apr 1763 Died)
• Francisco Javier Calvo † (4 Mar 1771 Appointed - 22 Dec 1773 Died)
• Diego Santamaría Cevallos, O.F.M. † (17 Apr 1798 Appointed - 10 Oct 1801 Died)
• Eugenio de la Santísima Trinidad Sesé, O.R.S.A. † (20 Sep 1801 Appointed - 31 Oct 1805 Died)
• Miguel Sánchez Cerrudo, O.F.M. † (20 Aug 1804 Appointed - 4 Aug 1810 Died)
• Manuel Redondo y Gómez † (19 Apr 1811 Appointed - )
• Giuseppe Romero † (5 Jul 1875 Appointed - )
• Raffaele Celedón † (17 Dec 1891 Appointed - )
• Francisco Simón y Ródenas, O.F.M. Cap. † (11 Jun 1904 Appointed - 2 Dec 1912 Resigned)
• Francesco Cristoforo Toro † (16 Dec 1913 Appointed - 8 Feb 1917 Appointed, Bishop of Antioquía-Jericó)
• Joaquín Garcia Benitez, C.I.M. † (17 Sep 1917 Appointed - 14 May 1942 Appointed, Archbishop of Medellín)
• Bernardo Botero Alvarez, C.M. † (5 Jul 1944 Appointed - 1956 Appointed, Archbishop of Nueva Pamplona)
• Norberto Forero y García † (27 May 1956 Appointed - 2 Jun 1971 Retired)
• Javier Naranjo Villegas (2 Jun 1971 Appointed - 24 Jul 1980 Resigned)
• Félix María Torres Parra † (11 Dec 1980 Appointed - 11 May 1987 Appointed, Archbishop of Barranquilla)
• Hugo Eugenio Puccini Banfi (4 Dec 1987 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
10 January 1534	Erected		Diocese of Santa Marta (erected)
11 September 1562	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santa Marta	Diocese of Santafé en Nueva Granada (erected)
17 January 1905	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santa Marta	Vicariate Apostolic of Goajira (erected)
26 October 1962	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santa Marta	Diocese of Ocaña (erected)
17 January 2006	Territory Lost	Diocese of Santa Marta Diocese of Valledupar	Diocese of El Banco (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
1950	400,000	405,000	98.8%	53	26	79	5,063		30	133	36	ap1951
1965	495,000	500,000	99.0%	45	15	60	8,250		15	145	29	ap1967
1968	600,000	611,000	98.2%	45	14	59	10,169		18	134	33	ap1971
1976	634,000	695,000	91.2%	36	13	49	12,938		17	158	36	ap1977
1980	653,000	667,000	97.9%	39	7	46	14,195		13	160	39	ap1981
1990	1,000,000	1,138,000	87.9%	43	11	54	18,518		18	120	44	ap1991
1999	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	65	10	75	14,626	1	15	129	45	ap2000
2000	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	71	14	85	12,905	1	19	134	48	ap2001
2001	1,096,652	1,218,836	90.0%	75	15	90	12,185		20	137	51	ap2002
2002	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	76	14	90	12,188	1	22	133	50	ap2003
2003	1,096,952	1,218,836	90.0%	79	14	93	11,795		19	140	55	ap2004
2004	922,200	1,108,496	83.2%	77	13	90	10,246	1	16	111	51	ap2005

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

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Javier Naranjo Villegas (Bishop: 2 Jun 1971 to 24 Jul 1980)
• Hugo Eugenio Puccini Banfi (Bishop: 4 Dec 1987)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Juan Fernando Angulo † (Bishop: 6 Sep 1536 to Jul 1542)
• Diego de Baños y Sotomayor † (Bishop: 13 Sep 1677 to 15 Feb 1683)
• Salvador Bermúdez y Becerra † (Priest: 1704 to 18 Jun 1731)
• Bernardo Botero Alvarez, C.M. † (Bishop: 5 Jul 1944 to 1956)
• Martín de Calatayud, O.S.H. † (Bishop: 19 Dec 1543 to 9 Nov 1548)
• Francisco Javier Calvo † (Bishop: 4 Mar 1771 to 22 Dec 1773)
• Raffaele Celedón † (Bishop: 17 Dec 1891)
• Leonel de Cervantes y Caravajal † (Bishop: 17 Mar 1621 to 1 Dec 1625)
• Antonio Corderina Vega, O.S.A. † (Bishop: 16 Dec 1630 to 26 May 1642)
• Juan de los Barrios, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 2 Apr 1552 to 22 Mar 1564)
• Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita † (Bishop: 1660 to 1677)
• Norberto Forero y García † (Bishop: 27 May 1956 to 2 Jun 1971)
• Joaquín Garcia Benitez, C.I.M. † (Bishop: 17 Sep 1917 to 14 May 1942)
• Lucas García Miranda † (Bishop: 15 Dec 1625 to 1629)
• Nicolás Gil Martínez y Malo † (Bishop: 4 Aug 1755 to 4 Apr 1763)
• Melchor de Liñán y Cisneros † (Bishop: 6 Oct 1664 to 8 Feb 1672)
• Juan Méndez de Villafranca, O.P. † (Bishop: 14 Apr 1577 to Dec 1577)
• José Ignacio Mijares Solórzano y Tobar † (Bishop: 11 Nov 1740 to 1742)
• Antonio Monroy Meneses, O. de M. † (Bishop: 12 Aug 1715 to 1 Sep 1738)
• Sebastián Ocando, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 6 Feb 1579 to 21 Jun 1619)
• Manuel Redondo y Gómez † (Bishop: 19 Apr 1811)
• Pedro José Rivera Mejía † (Auxiliary Bishop: 25 Jun 1951 to 20 Feb 1953)
• Giuseppe Romero † (Bishop: 5 Jul 1875)
• Alfredo Rubio Diaz † (Auxiliary Bishop: 7 Jul 1953 to 29 May 1956)
• Miguel Sánchez Cerrudo, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 20 Aug 1804 to 4 Aug 1810)
• Diego Santamaría Cevallos, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 17 Apr 1798 to 10 Oct 1801)
• Eugenio de la Santísima Trinidad Sesé, O.R.S.A. † (Bishop: 20 Sep 1801 to 31 Oct 1805)
• Francisco Simón y Ródenas, O.F.M. Cap. † (Bishop: 11 Jun 1904 to 2 Dec 1912)
• Francesco Cristoforo Toro † (Bishop: 16 Dec 1913 to 8 Feb 1917)
• Félix María Torres Parra † (Bishop: 11 Dec 1980 to 11 May 1987)