Diocese of Barra do Piraí-Volta Redonda

---

Bishop(s) Luiz Henrique da Silva Brito, Bishop Francesco Biasin, Bishop Emeritus João Maria Messi, O.S.M., Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Name Changed: 26 January 1965 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro Rite: Latin (or Roman) State: Rio de Janeiro Country: Brazil Square Kilometers: 4,624 (1,786 Square Miles) Description: Volta Redonda, Barra do Piraí, Resende, Barra Mansa, Itatiaia, Quatis, Porto Real, Rio Claro, Pinheiral, Mendes, Paulo de Frontin, and Piraí Conference Region: Leste 1 Official Web Site: https://www.diocesevr.com.br/ Mailing Address: Rua 25/B 44, Vila Santa Cecilia, 27260-330 Volta Redonda, RJ, Brazil Telephone: (024)3340-2801 Fax: (same)

Historical Details

• Diocese of Barra do Piraí
  • Latin Name: Barrensis de Pirai
  • Erected: 4 December 1922
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro
  • Country: Brazil

---

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Guilherme Müller † (14 Dec 1925 Appointed - 11 Dec 1935 Died)
• José André Coimbra † (26 Feb 1938 Appointed - 8 Jun 1955 Appointed, Bishop of Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais)
• Agnelo Rossi † (5 Mar 1956 Appointed - 6 Sep 1962 Appointed, Archbishop of Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo)
• Altivo Pacheco Ribeiro † (4 Apr 1963 Appointed - 27 Jun 1966 Appointed, Bishop of Araçuaí (Arassuaí), Minas Gerais)
• Waldyr Calheiros Novaes (de Novais) † (20 Oct 1966 Appointed - 17 Nov 1999 Retired)
• João Maria Messi, O.S.M. (17 Nov 1999 Appointed - 8 Jun 2011 Retired)
• Francesco Biasin (8 Jun 2011 Appointed - 13 Mar 2019 Retired)
• Luiz Henrique da Silva Brito (13 Mar 2019 Appointed - )

---

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Barra do Piraí
4 December 1922	Erected	Diocese of Niterói (Nictheroy)	Diocese of Barra do Piraí (erected)
27 March 1925	Territory Lost	Diocese of Barra do Piraí (Besengano, Conservatória, Encruzilhada, Ipiabas, Miguel Pereira, Paraíba do Sul, Paty do Alferes, Rio Bonito, Rio das Flores, Sapucaia, Três Rios, Valença, and Vassouras) Diocese of Niterói (Nictheroy) (Carmo and Sumidouro)	Diocese of Valença (erected)
13 April 1946	Territory Lost	Diocese of Barra do Piraí (Duque de Caxias and São João de Meriti) Diocese of Niterói (Nictheroy) (Petrópolis, Teresópolis, São José do Vale do Rio Preto, Magé, Guapimirim, part of Três Rios (Bemposta), and part of Paraíba do Sul (Parish of Inconfidência))	Diocese of Petrópolis (erected)
26 March 1960	Territory Lost	Diocese of Barra do Piraí (Nova Iguacú, Nilópolis, Itaguaí, Mangaratiba, district of Tairetá, and region Sertâo (Vassouras)) Diocese of Petrópolis (São João de Meriti)	Diocese of Nova Iguaçu (erected)
13 June 1960	Territory Added	Diocese of Valença (Ipiabas)	Diocese of Barra do Piraí
Diocese of Barra do Piraí-Volta Redonda
26 January 1965	Name Changed	Diocese of Barra do Piraí	Diocese of Barra do Piraí-Volta Redonda
14 March 1980	Territory Lost	Diocese of Barra do Piraí-Volta Redonda (Angra dos Reis and Parati) Diocese of Nova Iguaçu (Itaguai and Mangaratiba)	Diocese of Itaguaí (erected)

---

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Diocese of Barra do Piraí
1950	350,000	400,000	87.5%	31	19	50	7,000		20	71	34	ap1951
1959	650,000	800,000	81.3%	40	65	105	6,190		90	135	49	ap1960
Diocese of Barra do Piraí-Volta Redonda
1966	600,000	600,000	100.0%	23	31	54	11,111		35	62	32	ap1967
1970	300,000	500,000	60.0%	23	32	55	5,454		43	95	42	ap1971
1976	337,000	524,000	64.3%	20	28	48	7,020	3	34	153	26	ap1977
1980	375,000	608,060	61.7%	22	30	52	7,211	4	49	92	26	ap1981
1990	688,224	770,708	89.3%	27	21	48	14,338	3	51	112	26	ap1991
1999	592,605	790,140	75.0%	28	15	43	13,781	2	25	101	20	ap2000
2000	563,507	751,343	75.0%	28	19	47	11,989	2	29	95	22	ap2001
2001	556,525	742,034	75.0%	26	19	45	12,367	2	28	101	22	ap2002
2002	556,525	742,034	75.0%	26	17	43	12,942	2	18	99	22	ap2003
2003	556,525	742,034	75.0%	27	16	43	12,942	2	19	94	22	ap2004
2004	556,525	742,034	75.0%	28	15	43	12,942	3	18	84	22	ap2005
2006	572,000	761,000	75.2%	31	17	48	11,916	3	21	74	22	ap2007
2012	683,000	813,000	84.0%	40	16	56	12,196	15	16	67	22	ap2013
2015	700,000	832,000	84.1%	45	17	62	11,290	19	18	47	28	ap2016
2018	606,000	824,560	73.5%	47	14	61	9,934	20	15	47	28	ap2019
2020	615,800	837,600	73.5%	48	13	61	10,095	19	16	47	28	ap2021
2022	625,000	850,000	73.5%	50	13	63	9,920	18	14	31	29	ap2023

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

---

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Francesco Biasin (Bishop: 8 Jun 2011 to 13 Mar 2019)
• Luiz Henrique da Silva Brito (Bishop: 13 Mar 2019 - )
• João Maria Messi, O.S.M. (Bishop: 17 Nov 1999 to 8 Jun 2011)

  ---

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Waldyr Calheiros Novaes (de Novais) † (Bishop: 20 Oct 1966 to 17 Nov 1999)
• José André Coimbra † (Bishop: 26 Feb 1938 to 8 Jun 1955)
• Guilherme Müller † (Bishop: 14 Dec 1925 to 11 Dec 1935)
• Altivo Pacheco Ribeiro † (Bishop: 4 Apr 1963 to 27 Jun 1966)
• José Maria Parreira Lara † (Apostolic Administrator: 23 Jul 1923 to May 1925)
• Agnelo Rossi † (Bishop: 5 Mar 1956 to 6 Sep 1962)
• Vital João Geraldo Wilderink, O. Carm. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Jun 1978 to 21 Apr 1980)

Source(s)

Diocese of Barra do Piraí Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 15, Page 485, to Page 487 Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 52, Page 906, and Page 907 Diocese of Barra do Piraí-Volta Redonda Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 59, Page 873, and Page 874

Home | Countries | Religious Orders | Popes | Holy See | Roman Curia | Cardinals by Rank Bishops: All | Living | Deceased | Youngest | Oldest | Cardinal Electors Dioceses: All | Current Only | Titular | Vacant | Structured View Events: Overview | Recent | by Date | by Year | Necrology Ad Limina | Conclaves | Consistories | Councils Eastern Catholic Churches
About Catholic-Hierarchy		Terminology/Site Help
		Copyright David M. Cheney, 1996-2024 Code: web_d, v3.4.6, 4 Feb 2024; Data: 14 Apr 2024

✠