Diocese of Tarija, Bolivia

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Tarija / Tariien(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Sucre

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: July 24

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1924.11.11: Established as Diocese of Tarija / Tariien(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata and became suffragan of Sucre)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2019.10.11 – ...):

Bishop Jorge Ángel Saldías Pedraza, O.P. (56)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Tarija (Roman Rite)

Bishop Jorge Ángel Saldías Pedraza, O.P. (56)
(2019.10.11 – ...)

Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia)

Respice stellam voca Mariam

Born:	1968.08.13 (Buena Vista-La Arboleda, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	2001.05.25
Consecrated Bishop:	2014.06.05

Titular Bishop of Phelbes (2014.03.25 – 2019.10.11)

Auxiliary Bishop of La Paz (Bolivia) (2014.03.25 – 2019.10.11)

Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (2019.10.11 – ...)

Bishop Francisco Javier del Río Sendino (83)
(2006.01.10 – 2019.10.11)

Bishop emeritus of Tarija (Bolivia)

Born:	1942.01.22 (Palencia, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1965.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	2006.03.30

Priest of Palencia (Spain) (1965.06.29 – 2006.01.10)

Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (2006.01.10 – 2019.10.11)

Bishop Adhemar Esquivel Kohenque
(1995.10.20 – 2004.06.02)

Born:	1929.04.22 (Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1960.10.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.01.06
Died:	2013.07.17 († 84)

Titular Bishop of Cerveteri (1968.11.11 – 1992.11.10)

Auxiliary Bishop of La Paz (Bolivia) (1968.11.11 – 1992.11.10)

Coadjutor Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (1992.11.10 – 1995.10.20)

Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (1995.10.20 – 2004.06.02)

Bishop Abel Costas Montaño
(1974.12.11 – 1995.10.20)

Born:	1920.05.25 (Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1945.09.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.01.06
Died:	2015.02.11 († 94)

Titular Bishop of Novi (1968.11.11 – 1974.12.11)

Auxiliary Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1968.11.11 – 1974.12.11)

Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (1974.12.11 – 1995.10.20)

Bishop Juan Niccolai, O.F.M.
(1947.08.16 – 1974)

Born:	1898.03.16 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1922.08.13
Consecrated Bishop:	1944.05.28
Died:	1976.08.18 († 78)

Titular Bishop of Rhandus (1944.02.20 – 1947.08.16)

Coadjutor Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (1944.02.20 – 1947.08.16)

Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (1947.08.16 – 1974)

Bishop Ramón Font y Farrés, C.M.F.
(1924.11.17 – 1947.08.16)

Born:	1874.02.20 (Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1901.09.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1925.03.15
Died:	1947.08.16 († 73)

Bishop of Tarija (Bolivia) (1924.11.17 – 1947.08.16)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Adhemar Esquivel Kohenque (1992.11.10 – 1995.10.20)
Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Juan Niccolai, O.F.M. (1944.02.20 – 1947.08.16)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de San Bernardo, Tarija, Tarija

Humahuaca (↙), Potosí (↖), Sucre (↑), Camiri (↗), Orán (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 20,192 km²

Population: 490,290 Catholics (93.4% of 524,730 total)

Pastoral Centres: 22 parishes, 14 missions

Personnel: 44 priests (27 diocesan, 17 religious), 90 religious (18 brothers, 72 sisters), 9 seminarians