El Paso (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Mark Joseph Seitz, Bishop
Anthony Cerdan Celino, Auxiliary Bishop

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Erected: 3 March 1914
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of San Antonio
Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
State: Texas
Country: United States of America
Square Kilometers: 69,090 (26,686 Square Miles)
Description: El Paso, Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Presidio, Reeves, Ward, and Winkler
Conference Region: X (AR, OK, TX)
Catholic Directory Abbreviation: ELP
Official Web Site: https://www.elpasodiocese.org
Mailing Address: 499 St. Matthews St., El Paso, TX 79907, USA
Telephone: (915)872-8407
Fax: 872-8413

Past and Present Ordinaries

John Joseph Brown, S.J. † (22 Jan 1915 Appointed - Did Not Take Effect)
Anthony Joseph Schuler, S.J. † (17 Jun 1915 Appointed - 29 Nov 1942 Resigned)
Sidney Matthew Metzger † (29 Nov 1942 Succeeded - 17 Mar 1978 Retired)
Patrick Fernández Flores † (4 Apr 1978 Appointed - 23 Aug 1979 Appointed, Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas)
Raymundo Joseph Peña † (24 Apr 1980 Appointed - 23 May 1995 Appointed, Bishop of Brownsville, Texas)
Armando Xavier Ochoa (1 Apr 1996 Appointed - 1 Dec 2011 Appointed, Bishop of Fresno, California)
Mark Joseph Seitz (6 May 2013 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
3 March 1914	Erected	Diocese of Dallas (El Paso and Gulberson) Diocese of San Antonio (St. Anthony (Presidio), Jeff Davis, Reeves, Brewster, Terrell, Pecos, Grane, Ward, Loving, Winkler, Ector, Andrews, and Gaines) Diocese of Tucson (Grant, Luna, Doña Ana, Otero, Eddy, and part of Sierra)	Diocese of El Paso (erected)
3 August 1926	Territory Lost	Diocese of Dallas (Dollam, Sherman, Hansford, Ochiltree, Lipscomb, Hartley, Moore, Hutchison, Roberts, Hemphill, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Wheeler, Deaf Smith, Randall, Armstrong, Donley, Collingsworth, Parmer, Castro, Swisher, Briscoe, Hall, Childress, Bailey, Lamb,...) Diocese of El Paso (Gaines, Andrews, Ector, and Crane) Diocese of San Antonio (Martin, Howard, Midland, Glasscock, Sterling, Upton, Reagan, Irion, Tom Green, Concho, Crockett, Schleicher, Menard, Sutton, Kimble, one-half of Mitchell and Coke, and one-eighth of Runnels)	Diocese of Amarillo (erected)
3 August 1926	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Corpus Christi (from New Orleans) Diocese of El Paso (from New Orleans)
16 October 1961	Territory Lost	Diocese of Amarillo (Counties of Kimble, Sutton, Crockett, Schleicher, Concho, Menard, Tom Green, Irion, Reagan, Upton, Crane, Ector, Midland, Glasscock, Sterling, Coke, Nolan, Mitchell, Howard, Martin, Andrews, Scurry, Fisher, and Stonewall) Diocese of Austin (Counties of McCulloch, Brown, and Coleman) Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth (Counties of Runnels, Callhan, Taylor, Jones, and Haskell) Diocese of El Paso (Counties of Pecos and Terrei)	Diocese of San Angelo (erected)
15 February 1969	Territory Added		Diocese of Ciudad Juárez (In the region EI Chamizal, now match the civil boundaries) Diocese of El Paso (In the region EI Chamizal, now match the civil boundaries)
17 August 1982	Territory Lost	Diocese of El Paso (Counties of Doña Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hildago, Lea, Luna, and Otero) Archdiocese of Santa Fe (Counties of Chavez, Lincoln, and Sierra)	Diocese of Las Cruces (erected)

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

1918 107,626 28 37 65 1,655 90 ocdk1919

1928 64,080 44 51 95 674 100 ocdk1929

1950 144,591 427,939 33.8% 46 81 127 1,138 89 404 52 ap1951

1966 200,000 620,000 32.3% 93 82 175 1,142 209 401 70 ap1967

1970 185,000 700,000 26.4% 134 77 211 876 105 386 68 ap1971

1976 216,000 654,213 33.0% 93 73 166 1,301 1 137 340 72 ap1977

1980 264,510 811,000 32.6% 97 75 172 1,537 33 127 375 79 ap1981

1990 435,000 650,000 66.9% 73 53 126 3,452 26 103 211 51 ap1991

1999 597,275 784,511 76.1% 92 40 132 4,524 14 16 247 58 ap2000

2000 612,207 793,210 77.2% 92 40 132 4,637 14 83 243 58 ap2001

2001 630,573 798,763 78.9% 92 42 134 4,705 14 83 247 58 ap2002

2002 648,340 799,843 81.1% 86 37 123 5,271 11 77 253 58 ap2003

2003 647,000 801,000 80.8% 86 37 123 5,260 11 77 241 58 ap2004

2004 656,035 811,739 80.8% 81 36 117 5,607 11 75 254 58 ap2005

2006 668,000 827,000 80.8% 67 40 107 6,242 14 75 162 54 ap2007

2013 689,549 877,940 78.5% 68 43 111 6,212 25 68 118 57 ap2014

2016 693,793 884,407 78.4% 65 45 110 6,307 35 63 103 57 ap2017

2019 720,226 900,283 80.0% 65 50 115 6,262 33 68 100 60 ap2020

2021 718,503 900,380 79.8% 72 46 118 6,089 28 60 100 99 ap2022

2023 720,009 923,088 78.0% 46 41 87 8,275 47 55 100 58 ap2024

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1918	107,626			28	37	65	1,655				90	ocdk1919
1928	64,080			44	51	95	674				100	ocdk1929
1950	144,591	427,939	33.8%	46	81	127	1,138		89	404	52	ap1951
1966	200,000	620,000	32.3%	93	82	175	1,142		209	401	70	ap1967
1970	185,000	700,000	26.4%	134	77	211	876		105	386	68	ap1971
1976	216,000	654,213	33.0%	93	73	166	1,301	1	137	340	72	ap1977
1980	264,510	811,000	32.6%	97	75	172	1,537	33	127	375	79	ap1981
1990	435,000	650,000	66.9%	73	53	126	3,452	26	103	211	51	ap1991
1999	597,275	784,511	76.1%	92	40	132	4,524	14	16	247	58	ap2000
2000	612,207	793,210	77.2%	92	40	132	4,637	14	83	243	58	ap2001
2001	630,573	798,763	78.9%	92	42	134	4,705	14	83	247	58	ap2002
2002	648,340	799,843	81.1%	86	37	123	5,271	11	77	253	58	ap2003
2003	647,000	801,000	80.8%	86	37	123	5,260	11	77	241	58	ap2004
2004	656,035	811,739	80.8%	81	36	117	5,607	11	75	254	58	ap2005
2006	668,000	827,000	80.8%	67	40	107	6,242	14	75	162	54	ap2007
2013	689,549	877,940	78.5%	68	43	111	6,212	25	68	118	57	ap2014
2016	693,793	884,407	78.4%	65	45	110	6,307	35	63	103	57	ap2017
2019	720,226	900,283	80.0%	65	50	115	6,262	33	68	100	60	ap2020
2021	718,503	900,380	79.8%	72	46	118	6,089	28	60	100	99	ap2022
2023	720,009	923,088	78.0%	46	41	87	8,275	47	55	100	58	ap2024