Diocese of Loja, Ecuador

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Loja / Loian(us) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Cuenca

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1862.12.29: Established as Diocese of Loja / Loian(us) (Latin) (from Diocese of Cuenca and became suffragan of Quito)
1954.07.26: Lost territory to establish Territorial Prelature of El Oro
1957.04.09: Became suffragan of Cuenca

Present Prelates

Bishop (2019.10.31 – ...):

Bishop Walter Jehová Heras Segarra, O.F.M. (60)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Loja (Roman Rite)

Bishop Walter Jehová Heras Segarra, O.F.M. (60)
(2019.10.31 – ...)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador)

Sanctum evangelium observare

Born:	1964.04.04 (Bulán, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1992.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:	2009.05.21

Titular Bishop of Vazari (2009.03.25 – 2019.10.31)

Vicar Apostolic of Zamora (Ecuador) (2009.03.25 – 2019.10.31)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (2019.10.31 – ...)

Bishop Alfredo José Espinoza Mateus, S.D.B. (66) (later Archbishop)
(2013.12.20 – 2019.04.05)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Quito (Ecuador)
Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador

Faciam vos piscatores hominum

Born:	1958.04.22 (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1988.12.17
Consecrated Bishop:	2014.01.18

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (2013.12.20 – 2019.04.05)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Quito (Ecuador) (2019.04.05 – ...)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (2020.11.11 – ...)

Bishop Julio Parrilla Díaz (78)
(2008.04.18 – 2013.01.12)

Bishop emeritus of Riobamba (Ecuador)

Born:	1946.03.25 (Orense, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1975.03.30
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.06.05

Priest of Salamanca (Spain) (1975.03.30 – 2008.04.18)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (2008.04.18 – 2013.01.12)

Bishop of Riobamba (Ecuador) (2013.01.12 – 2021.04.28)

Bishop Hugolino Cerasuolo Stacey, O.F.M.
(1985.05.02 – 2007.06.15)

Born:	1932.04.04 (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1954.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1975.07.06
Died:	2019.05.24 (Guayaquil, Ecuador † 87)

Prefect Apostolic of Galápagos (Ecuador) (1967.10.03 – 1975.05.30)

Titular Bishop of Valeria (1975.05.30 – 1985.05.02)

Auxiliary Bishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador) (1975.05.30 – 1985.05.02)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1985.05.02 – 2007.06.15)

Bishop Alberto Zambrano Palacios, O.P.
(1972.12.11 – 1985.05.02)

Born:	1920.05.10 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1944.12.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1964.12.03
Died:	1994.08.22 († 74)

Prefect Apostolic of Canelos (Ecuador) (1959.01.24 – 1964.09.29)

Titular Bishop of Casæ in Numidia (1964.09.29 – 1972.12.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Canelos (Ecuador) (1964.09.29 – 1972.12.11)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1972.12.11 – 1985.05.02)

Bishop Luis Alfonso Crespo Chiriboga
(1963.11.02 – 1972.09.21)

Born:	1907 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1927
Consecrated Bishop:	1963.12.08
Died:	1972.09.21 († 64)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1963.11.02 – 1972.09.21)

Bishop Juán Maria Riofrio, O.P.
(1956.10.10 – 1963.06.24)

Born:	1905.11.13 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1929.07.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1956.12.08
Died:	1963.06.24 († 57)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1956.10.10 – 1963.06.24)

Bishop Nicanor Roberto Aguirre Baus
(1945.10.23 – 1956.10.10)

Born:	1887.01.10 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1910.09.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1938.05.08
Died:	1977.08.13 († 90)

Titular Bishop of Hippos (1937.12.16 – 1945.10.23)

Apostolic Administrator of Loja (Ecuador) (1937.12.16 – 1945.10.23)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1945.10.23 – 1956.10.10)

Titular Bishop of Lysinia (1956.10.10 – 1977.08.13)

Bishop Nicanor Roberto Aguirre Baus
(Apostolic Administrator 1937.12.16 – 1945.10.23)

Bishop Guillermo José Harris y Morales
(1920.05.07 – 1944)

Born:	1871.04.27 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1896.07.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1920.10.17
Died:	1944.02.10 († 72)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1920.05.07 – 1944)

Bishop Carlos María Javier de la Torre (later Cardinal)
(1911.12.30 – 1919.08.21)

Obœdientia et pax

Born:	1873.11.14 (Quito, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1896.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1912.05.26
Created Cardinal:	1953.01.12
Died:	1968.07.31 (Quito, Ecuador † 94)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1911.12.30 – 1919.08.21)

Bishop of Bolivar (Ecuador) (1919.08.21 – 1926.12.20)

Bishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador) (1926.12.20 – 1933.09.08)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Quito (Ecuador) (1933.09.08 – 1967.06.23)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Aquiro pro hac vice Title (1953.01.15 – 1968.07.31)

President of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (1958 – 1967)

Bishop Juan José Antonio Eguiguren-Escudero
(1907.03.06 – 1911.01.15)

Born:	1867.04.26
Ordained Priest:	1892.06.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1907.07.28
Died:	1911.01.15 († 43)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1907.03.06 – 1911.01.15)

Bishop José María Massia, O.F.M.
(1875.09.17 – 1902.01.15)

Born:	1815.01.15 (Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1838.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1876.09.21
Died:	1902.01.15 († 87)

Bishop of Loja (Ecuador) (1875.09.17 – 1902.01.15)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, Loja, Loja
Minor Basilica, National Shrine: Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora del Cisne, El Cisne, Loja

Piura (↙), Machala (↖), Cuenca (↑), Zamora (→), Chulucanas (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 11,066 km²

Population: 533,573 Catholics (99.9% of 534,056 total)

Pastoral Centres: 83 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 147 priests (117 diocesan, 30 religious), 2 deacons, 339 religious (61 brothers, 278 sisters), 32 seminarians