Roman Catholic Diocese of Temuco

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Temuco (Latin: Temucen(sis)) is the ecclesiastical circumscription of the Catholic Church that, with its seat in Temuco, shares the ecclesiastical government of the territory of Araucanía Region (Chile) together with the Diocese of Villarrica, covering the entire Province of Malleco and part of the Province of Cautín. In its totality it includes the communes of Perquenco, Galvarino, Cholchol and Temuco, and most of the communes of Lautaro, Nueva Imperial and Carahue. It is a suffragan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción. The Diocese of Temuco is the current administrator of the Temuco Catholic University.

Diocese of Temuco Dioecesis Temucensis Diócesis de Temuco
Cathedral of St. Joseph
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Chile
Ecclesiastical province	Concepción
Metropolitan	Concepción
Statistics
Area	17,474 km2 (6,747 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2010) 703,470 450,200 (64.0%)
Parishes	37
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	1908 (115–116 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathedral of St Joseph in Temuco
Patron saint	Saint Joseph
Language	Spanish
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Mons. Jorge Concha Cayuqueo, OFM
Suffragan	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción
Bishops emeritus	Manuel Camilo Vial Risopatrón Bishop Emeritus
Website
obispadodetemuco.cl

History

• 1908: Established as Mission “sui iuris” of Temuco from the Diocese of Concepción
• 18 October 1925: Promoted as Diocese of Temuco

Bishops

• Bishops of Temuco (Roman rite), in reverse chronological order
  • Bishop Hector Eduardo Vargas Bastidas (2013.05.14 – 2022.03.07)
  • Bishop Manuel Camilo Vial Risopatrón (2001.09.21 – 2013.05.14)
  • Bishop Sergio Otoniel Contreras Navia (1977.12.23 – 2001.09.21)
  • Bishop Bernardino Piñera Carvallo (1960.12.10 – 1977.12.28), resigned; appointed Archbishop of La Serena in 1983
  • Bishop Alejandro Menchaca Lira (1941.08.09 – 1960.09.13)
  • Bishop Augusto Osvaldo Salinas Fuenzalida, SS.CC. (1939.08.29 – 1941.02.09), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago de Chile
  • Bishop Alfredo Silva Santiago (1935.02.23 – 1939.02.04), appointed Bishop of Concepción; future Archbishop
  • Bishop Prudencio Contardo Ibarra, C.SS.R. (1925.12.14 – 1934.12.15); was Vicar General and titular bishop here, 1920-1925
  • Bishop Ricardo Sepúlveda Hermosilla (Apostolic Administrator 1908 – 1919)

Auxiliary bishop

• Jorge Maria Hourton Poisson (1992-2001)

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• Ricardo Sepúlveda Hermosilla (priest of diocese of Concepción who was then Vicar General here, 1908-1919; titular bishop in 1911)

Sources

• Giga-Catholic Information
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Diocese website