Diocese of

Paramaribo

Suriname Suriname

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Paramaribo / Paramariboën(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Port of Spain

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Peter and Saint Paul of Tarsus (June 29)

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

Present Prelates

Bishop (2015.11.11 – ...):Bishop Karel Martinus Choennie (66)Bishop Karel Martinus Choennie (66)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Paramaribo (Roman Rite)

Bishop Karel Martinus Choennie (66)Bishop Karel Martinus Choennie (66)
(2015.11.11 – ...)

Bishop of Paramaribo (Suriname)

Diliges Dominum et proximum

Born:1958.12.20 (Suriname)
Ordained Priest:1985.09.30
Consecrated Bishop:2016.01.24

Priest of Paramaribo (Suriname) (1985.09.30 – 2015.11.11)

Bishop of Paramaribo (Suriname) (2015.11.11 – ...)

Fr. Antonius te Dorshorst, O.M.I.
(Apostolic Administrator 2014.05.31 – 2015.11.11)

Bishop Wilhelmus Adrianus Josephus Maria de Bekker (85)Bishop Wilhelmus Adrianus Josephus Maria de Bekker (85)
(2004.11.12 – 2014.05.31)

Bishop emeritus of Paramaribo (Suriname)

Testimonium Domini fidele

Born:1939.04.27 (Helmond, Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1985.05.25
Consecrated Bishop:2005.01.30

Priest of Paramaribo (Suriname) (1985.05.25 – 2004.11.12)

Bishop of Paramaribo (Suriname) (2004.11.12 – 2014.05.31)

Bishop Aloysius Ferdinandus Zichem, C.SS.R.
(1971.08.30 – 2003.08.09)

Amore traxit omnia

Born:1933.02.28 (Suriname)
Ordained Priest:1960.08.14
Consecrated Bishop:1970.02.08
Died:2016.11.13 († 83)

Titular Bishop of Fuerteventura (1969.10.02 – 1971.08.30)

Auxiliary Bishop of Paramaribo (Suriname) (1969.10.02 – 1971.08.30)

Bishop of Paramaribo (Suriname) (1971.08.30 – 2003.08.09)

Bishop Stephanus Joseph Maria Magdalena Kuijpers, C.SS.R.
(1958.05.07 – 1971.08.30)

Iter para tutum

Born:1899.07.22 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1925.10.10
Consecrated Bishop:1946.06.10
Died:1986.07.05 († 86)

Titular Bishop of Termessus (1946.02.08 – 1958.05.07)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1946.02.08 – 1958.05.07)

Bishop of Paramaribo (Suriname) (1958.05.07 – 1971.08.30)

Vicars Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Roman Rite)

Bishop Stephanus Joseph Maria Magdalena Kuijpers, C.SS.R.
(1946.02.08 – 1958.05.07)

(see above)

Bishop Theodorus Antonius Leonardus Maria van Roosmalen, C.SS.R.
(1911.09.05 – 1946.02.08)

Deus fortitudo mea

Born:1875.07.27 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1901.10.08
Consecrated Bishop:1911.11.15
Died:1957.06.09 († 81)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1911.09.05 – 1946.02.08)

Titular Bishop of Antigonea (1911.09.05 – 1957.06.09)

Bishop Jacobus Cornelis Meeuwissen, C.SS.R.
(1907.03.03 – 1911.09.05)

Adeamus cum fiducia

Born:1847.08.15 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1873.10.06
Consecrated Bishop:1907.03.03
Died:1916.06.29 († 68)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1907.03.03 – 1911.09.05)

Titular Bishop of Prusa (1907.03.03 – 1916.06.29)

Bishop Wilhelmus Antonius Ferdinand Wulfingh, C.SS.R.
(1889.06.06 – 1906.04.05)

Succurre miseris

Born:1839.05.30 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1867.10.01
Consecrated Bishop:1889.12.15
Died:1906.04.05 († 66)

Titular Bishop of Cambysopolis (1889.06.06 – 1906.04.05)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1889.06.06 – 1906.04.05)

Bishop Johannes Henricus Schaap, C.SS.R.
(1880.09.10 – 1889.03.19)

Copiosa apud eum redemptio

Born:1823.09.27 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1850.08.13
Consecrated Bishop:1880.10.10
Died:1889.03.19 († 65)

Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1876.06.20 – 1880.09.10)

Titular Bishop of Etalonia (1880.09.10 – 1889.03.19)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1880.09.10 – 1889.03.19)

Fr. Johannes Henricus Schaap, C.SS.R. (later Bishop)
(1876.06.20 – 1880.09.10)

(see above)

Bishop Johannes Baptist Swinkels, C.SS.R.
(1865.09.12 – 1875.09.15)

Funda nos in pace

Born:1810.04.14 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1834.09.20
Consecrated Bishop:1865.10.15
Died:1875.09.15 († 65)

Titular Bishop of Amorium (1865.09.12 – 1875.09.15)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1865.09.12 – 1875.09.15)

Bishop Jacobus Gerardus Schepers, C.SS.R.
(1852.09.20 – 1863.11.27)

Born:1798.08.18
Ordained Priest:1829.04.20
Consecrated Bishop:1853.09.07
Died:1863.11.27 († 65)

Apostolic Administrator of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1843.09.24 – 1852.09.20)

Titular Bishop of Milopotamus (1852.09.07 – 1863.11.27)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1852.09.20 – 1863.11.27)

Bishop Jacobus Grooff
(1846.12.01 – 1852.04.29)

Ecce quia vocasti me

Born:1800.08.03 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1825.08.19
Consecrated Bishop:1844.02.26
Died:1852.04.29 (Paramaribo, Suriname † 51)

Prefect Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1826.10.13 – 1842.09.12)

Titular Bishop of Canea (1842.09.20 – 1852.04.29)

Vicar Apostolic of Batavia (Indonesia) (1842.09.20 – 1852.04.29)

Vicar Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1846.12.01 – 1852.04.29)

Prefects Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Roman Rite)

Bishop-elect Jacobus Gerardus Schepers, C.SS.R.
(Apostolic Administrator 1843.09.24 – 1852.09.20)

Fr. Jacobus Grooff (later Bishop)
(1826.10.13 – 1842.09.12)

(see above)

Fr. Martinus van der Weijden
(1826.02 – 1826.10.14)

Born:1800
Ordained Priest:1825.08.09
Died:1826.10.14 († 25)

Prefect Apostolic of Dutch Guyana–Suriname (Suriname) (1826.02 – 1826.10.14)

Former Prelates

Special Churches

Georgetown (←), Cayenne (→), Macapá (↘), Santarém (↓), Óbidos (↓)

Statistics (2018.12.31)

Area: 163,829 km²

Population: 163,600 Catholics (24.2% of 675,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 48 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 20 priests (8 diocesan, 12 religious), 7 deacons, 23 religious (14 brothers, 9 sisters)

Population

Pastoral Centres

Priests

Deacons

Religious

Seminarians

Last updated on 2025.01.27

© 2025 GCatholic.org

Up