Diocese of Araçuaí, Brazil

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Araçuaí / Arassuahyen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Diamantina

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Nossa Senhora da Assunção (August 15)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1913.08.25: Established as Diocese of Araçuaí / Arassuahyen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Diamantina and became suffragan of Mariana)
1917.06.28: Became suffragan of Diamantina
1956.02.01: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Governador Valadares
1960.11.27: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Teófilo Otoni
1981.03.28: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Almenara

Present Prelates

Bishop (2024.04.30 – ...):

Bishop Geraldo dos Reis Maia (60)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Araçuaí (Roman Rite)

Bishop Geraldo dos Reis Maia (60)
(2024.04.30 – ...)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil)

Born:	1964.05.03 (Babilônia, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1988.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	2024.07.13

Priest of Uberaba (Brazil) (1988.12.08 – 2024.04.30)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (2024.04.30 – ...)

Archbishop Esmeraldo Barreto de Farias, Prado (75)
(2020.11.18 – 2024.04.30)

Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Araçuaí (Brazil)

Levanta-te e anda

Born:	1949.07.04 (Santo Antônio de Jesus, BA, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1977.01.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2000.06.11

Bishop of Paulo Afonso (Brazil) (2000.03.22 – 2007.02.28)

Bishop of Santarém (Brazil) (2007.02.28 – 2011.11.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Porto Velho (Brazil) (2011.11.30 – 2015.03.18)

Titular Bishop of Summula (2015.03.18 – 2020.11.18)

Auxiliary Bishop of São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil) (2015.03.18 – 2020.11.18)

Archbishop-Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (2020.11.18 – 2024.04.30)

Bishop José Carlos Brandão Cabral (61)
(Apostolic Administrator 2020.03.25 – 2020.11.18)

Bishop Marcello Romano (59)
(2012.06.13 – 2020.03.25)

Bishop emeritus of Araçuaí (Brazil)

Fazer o amor ser amado

Born:	1965.08.15 (Conceição do Mato Dentro, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1994.06.24
Consecrated Bishop:	2012.09.08

Priest of Guanhães (Brazil) (1994.06.24 – 2012.06.13)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (2012.06.13 – 2020.03.25)

Bishop Severino Clasen, O.F.M. (70) (later Archbishop)
(2005.05.11 – 2011.07.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maringá (Brazil)

Acolher e cuidar

Born:	1954.06.10 (Petrolândia, PE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1982.07.10
Consecrated Bishop:	2005.06.25

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (2005.05.11 – 2011.07.06)

Bishop of Caçador (Brazil) (2011.07.06 – 2020.07.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maringá (Brazil) (2020.07.01 – ...)

Bishop Dario Campos, O.F.M. (76) (later Archbishop)
(2001.08.08 – 2004.06.23)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Vitória (Brazil)

Nas tuas mãos

Born:	1948.06.09 (Castelo, ES, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1977.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	2000.09.26

Coadjutor Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (2000.07.05 – 2001.08.08)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (2001.08.08 – 2004.06.23)

Bishop of Leopoldina (Brazil) (2004.06.23 – 2011.04.27)

Bishop of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (Brazil) (2011.04.27 – 2018.11.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Vitória (Brazil) (2018.11.07 – ...)

Bishop Crescênzio Rinaldini
(1982.05.10 – 2001.08.08)

Buscamos Nova Terra

Born:	1925.12.27 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1949.06.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1982.07.04
Died:	2011.10.24 († 85)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (1982.05.10 – 2001.08.08)

Bishop Silvestre Luís Scandián, S.V.D. (later Archbishop)
(1975.01.04 – 1981.08.18)

Virtute Spiritus Sancti

Born:	1931.12.31 (Iconha, ES, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1958.08.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1975.02.22
Died:	2019.02.16 (Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil † 87)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (1975.01.04 – 1981.08.18)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Vitória (Brazil) (1981.08.18 – 1984.04.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Vitória (Brazil) (1984.04.27 – 2004.04.14)

Bishop Altivo Pacheco Ribeiro
(1966.06.27 – 1973.11.10)

Born:	1916.05.24 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1948.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1963.06.11
Died:	1987.06.13 († 71)

Bishop of Barra do Piraí (Brazil) (1963.04.04 – 1965.01.26)

Bishop of Barra do Piraí–Volta Redonda (Brazil) (1965.01.26 – 1966.06.27)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (1966.06.27 – 1973.11.10)

Titular Bishop of Algeciras (1973.11.10 – 1987.06.13)

Auxiliary Bishop of Juiz de Fora (Brazil) (1973.11.10 – 1987.06.13)

Bishop José Maria Pires (later Archbishop)
(1957.05.25 – 1965.12.02)

Scientiam Salutis

Born:	1919.03.15 (Córregos, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1941.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1957.09.22
Died:	2017.08.27 (Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil † 98)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (1957.05.25 – 1965.12.02)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Paraíba (Brazil) (1965.12.02 – 1995.11.29)

Bishop José de Haas, O.F.M.
(1937.03.20 – 1956.08.01)

Born:	1877.01.04 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:	1902.03.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1937.07.25
Died:	1956.08.01 († 79)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (1937.03.20 – 1956.08.01)

Bishop Serafim Gomes Jardim da Silva (later Archbishop)
(1914.03.12 – 1934.05.26)

Domine miserere mihi

Born:	1875.09.07 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1901.06.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1914.09.20
Died:	1969.11.02 († 94)

Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (1914.03.12 – 1934.05.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Diamantina (Brazil) (1934.05.26 – 1953.10.28)

Titular Archbishop of Anasartha (1953.10.28 – 1969.11.02)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Dario Campos, O.F.M. (76) (later Archbishop) (2000.07.05 – 2001.08.08)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral São José, Araçuaí, Minas Gerais
Shrines in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy

Churches by City (36)

Diamantina (↙), Montes Claros (←), Almenara (→), Teófilo Otoni (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 23,526 km²

Population: 307,800 Catholics (70.2% of 438,600 total)

Pastoral Centres: 29 parishes

Personnel: 44 priests (32 diocesan, 12 religious), 1 deacon, 37 religious (13 brothers, 24 sisters), 10 seminarians