Diocese of Cajazeiras, Brazil 🇧🇷

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Cajazeiras / Caiazeirasen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Paraíba

Neighbouring Dioceses: Crato (←), Iguatu (↖), Mossoró (↗), Caicó (↗), Patos (→), Afogados da Ingazeira (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Nossa Senhora da Piedade (September 15), Saint Pius X (August 21)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1914.02.06: Established as Diocese of Cajazeiras / Caiazeirasen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Paraíba and became suffragan of Paraíba)
1959.01.17: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Patos

Present Prelates

Bishop (2025.04.09 – ...):

Bishop Francisco de Assis Gabriel dos Santos, C.SS.R. (58)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Cajazeiras (Roman Rite)

Bishop Francisco de Assis Gabriel dos Santos, C.SS.R. (58)
(2025.04.09 – ...)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil)

Spe gaudentes

Born:	1968.02.05 (Esperança, PB, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	2000.07.22
Consecrated Bishop:	2017.08.26

Bishop of Campo Maior (Brazil) (2017.06.21 – 2025.04.09)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (2025.04.09 – ...)

Bishop Francisco de Sales Alencar Batista, O. Carm. (57)
(2016.06.08 – 2023.11.18)

Bishop of Mossoró (Brazil)

Sicut qui ministrat

Born:	1968.04.17 (Araripina, PE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1995.11.29
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.08.14

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (2016.06.08 – 2023.11.18)

Bishop of Mossoró (Brazil) (2023.11.18 – ...)

Bishop José González Alonso (85)
(2001.06.20 – 2015.09.16)

Bishop emeritus of Cajazeiras (Brazil)

Fides et Vita

Born:	1940.07.12 (Sobradillo, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1964.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1995.03.18

Titular Bishop of Baliana (1994.12.07 – 2001.06.20)

Auxiliary Bishop of Teresina (Brazil) (1994.12.07 – 2001.06.20)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (2001.06.20 – 2015.09.16)

Bishop Matias Patrício de Macêdo (89) (later Archbishop)
(1990.07.12 – 2000.07.12)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Natal (Brazil)

Todos tenham Vida

Born:	1936.04.14 (Santana do Matos, RN, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1963.07.14
Consecrated Bishop:	1990.10.21

Priest of Natal (Brazil) (1963.07.14 – 1990.07.12)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (1990.07.12 – 2000.07.12)

Coadjutor Bishop of Campina Grande (Brazil) (2000.07.12 – 2001.08.29)

Bishop of Campina Grande (Brazil) (2001.08.29 – 2003.11.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Natal (Brazil) (2003.11.26 – 2011.12.21)

Bishop Zacarias Rolim de Moura
(1953.04.27 – 1990.07.12)

Veritas et vita

Born:	1914.06.13 (Umari, CE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1937.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1953.07.26
Died:	1992.04.05 (Umari, CE, Brazil † 77)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (1953.04.27 – 1990.07.12)

Bishop Luis do Amaral Mousinho (later Archbishop)
(1948.08.30 – 1952.03.18)

Consentire romano pontefice

Born:	1912.11.18 (Timbaúba, PE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1937.03.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1948.11.28
Died:	1962.04.24 (Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil † 49)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (1948.08.30 – 1952.03.18)

Bishop of Ribeirão Preto (Brazil) (1952.03.18 – 1958.04.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ribeirão Preto (Brazil) (1958.04.19 – 1962.04.24)

Bishop Henrique Gelain
(1944.07.29 – 1948.05.22)

In corde regnat omnium

Born:	1910.06.12 (Nova Pádua, RS, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1935.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1944.12.10
Died:	1993.12.31 (Vacaria, RS, Brazil † 83)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (1944.07.29 – 1948.05.22)

Bishop of Cafelândia (Brazil) (1948.05.22 – 1950.05.27)

Bishop of Lins (Brazil) (1950.05.27 – 1964.03.28)

Apostolic Administrator of Marília (Brazil) (1952 – 1954.10.07)

Bishop of Vacaria (Brazil) (1964.03.28 – 1986.02.05)

Bishop José da Matha de Andrade y Amaral
(1934.03.24 – 1941.05.12)

Pasce agnos meos

Born:	1898.02.08 (Altinho, PE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1921.03.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1934.05.20
Died:	1954.11.07 (Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil † 56)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (1934.03.24 – 1941.05.12)

Bishop of Amazonas (Brazil) (1941.05.12 – 1948.03.20)

Bishop of Niterói (Brazil) (1948.03.20 – 1954.11.07)

Bishop Moisés Ferreira Coelho (later Archbishop)
(1914.11.16 – 1932.02.12)

Dominus illuminatio mea

Born:	1877.04.08 (Cajazeiras, PB, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1901.11.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1915.05.02
Died:	1959.04.18 (João Pessoa, PB, Brazil † 82)

Bishop of Cajazeiras (Brazil) (1914.11.16 – 1932.02.12)

Titular Archbishop of Berœa (1932.02.12 – 1935.08.16)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Paraíba (Brazil) (1932.02.12 – 1935.08.16)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Paraíba (Brazil) (1935.08.16 – 1959.04.18)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nossa Senhora da Piedade, Cajazeiras, Paraíba
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (54)

Crato (←), Iguatu (↖), Mossoró (↗), Caicó (↗), Patos (→), Afogados da Ingazeira (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 14,575 km²

Population: 528,000 Catholics (93.6% of 564,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 64 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 77 priests (62 diocesan, 15 religious), 168 religious (34 brothers, 134 sisters), 25 seminarians