Diocese of San Juan Bautista de Calama, Chile

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: San Juan Bautista de Calama (español) / Calama (español) / Sancti Ioannis Calamen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Antofagasta

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint John the Baptist (June 24)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1965.07.21: Established as Territorial Prelature of Calama (español) / Calamen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Antofagasta and Diocese of Iquique and became suffragan of La Serena)
1967.06.28: Became suffragan of Antofagasta
2010.02.20: Promoted as Diocese of San Juan Bautista de Calama (español) / Calama (español) / Sancti Ioannis Calamen(sis) (Latin)

Contact Info

Address: Pasaje Mons. Juan Bautista Herrada N° 1664, Calama, Chile

Phone: 55-650400

Present Prelates

Bishop (2023.05.24 – ...):

Bishop Tomás Abel Carrasco Cortés (53)

Ordinaries

Bishops of San Juan Bautista de Calama (Roman Rite)

Bishop Tomás Abel Carrasco Cortés (53)
(2023.05.24 – ...)

Bishop of San Juan Bautista de Calama (Chile)

Hágase en mí según tu Palabra

Born:	1970.11.13 (Santa Bárbara, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	2001.10.31
Consecrated Bishop:	2023.08.18

Priest of Santa María de los Ángeles (Chile) (2001.10.31 – 2023.05.24)

Bishop of San Juan Bautista de Calama (Chile) (2023.05.24 – ...)

Bishop Óscar Hernán Blanco Martínez, O.M.D. (59)
(2016.03.19 – 2022.07.13)

Bishop of Punta Arenas (Chile)

Christus in omnia modus

Born:	1964.09.26 (Puerto Domínguez, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1997.04.13
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.05.19

Bishop of San Juan Bautista de Calama (Chile) (2016.03.19 – 2022.07.13)

Bishop of Punta Arenas (Chile) (2022.07.13 – ...)

Bishop Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto (66)
(2010.02.20 – 2014.02.22)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile)

El auxilio me viene del Señor

Born:	1958.06.07 (Isla de Maipo, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1982.06.12
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.05.31

Priest of Santiago (Chile) (1982.06.12 – 2003.04.10)

Bishop-Prelate of Calama (Chile) (2003.04.10 – 2010.02.20)

Bishop of San Juan Bautista de Calama (Chile) (2010.02.20 – 2014.02.22)

Bishop of Iquique (Chile) (2014.02.22 – 2021.06.08)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (2021.06.08 – ...)

Prelates of Calama (Roman Rite)

Bishop Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto (66)
(2003.04.10 – 2010.02.20)

(see above)

Bishop Cristián Enrique Contreras Molina, O. de M. (77)
(1992.06.11 – 2002.07.19)

Bishop emeritus of San Felipe (Chile)

El Señor me envió

Born:	1946.11.08 (Santiago, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1974.10.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1992.07.05

Bishop-Prelate of Calama (Chile) (1992.06.11 – 2002.07.19)

Bishop of San Felipe (Chile) (2002.07.19 – 2018.09.21)

Bishop Juan Bautista Herrada Armijo, O. de M.
(1982.03.05 – 1991.11.30)

Ven señor Jesús

Born:	1922.05.15 (Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1948.09.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1982.04.17
Died:	2002.01.21 († 79)

Apostolic Administrator of Calama (Chile) (1976.02.26 – 1982.03.05)

Bishop-Prelate of Calama (Chile) (1982.03.05 – 1991.11.30)

Auxiliary Bishop of Antofagasta (Chile) (1991.11.30 – 1997.07.16)

Titular Bishop of Equizetum (1991.11.30 – 2002.01.21)

Fr. Juan Bautista Herrada Armijo, O. de M. (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1976.02.26 – 1982.03.05)

Archbishop Carlos Oviedo Cavada, O. de M. (later Cardinal)
(Apostolic Administrator 1974 – 1976)

Bishop Juan Luis Ysern de Arce (94)
(Apostolic Administrator 1972.05.20 – 1974.06.02)

Archbishop Francisco de Borja Valenzuela Ríos
(Apostolic Administrator 1970.04 – 1970.06.02)

Bishop Orozimbo Fuenzalida y Fuenzalida
(1968.03.13 – 1970.02.26)

Duc in altum et laxate retia

Born:	1925.05.22 (Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1951.03.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1968.05.19
Died:	2013.03.27 († 87)

Titular Bishop of Burca (1968.03.13 – 1970.02.26)

Bishop-Prelate of Calama (Chile) (1968.03.13 – 1970.02.26)

Bishop of Los Ángeles (Chile) (1970.02.26 – 1987.07.13)

Bishop of San Bernardo (Chile) (1987.07.13 – 2003.10.10)

Archbishop Francisco de Borja Valenzuela Ríos
(Apostolic Administrator 1965.07.21 – 1968.05.19)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral San Juan Bautista, Calama, Antofagasta
Shrines in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy

Churches by City (20)

Antofagasta (↙), Iquique (↖), Potosí (↗), Humahuaca (→), Salta (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 43,000 km²

Population: 144,730 Catholics (71.2% of 203,260 total)

Pastoral Centres: 11 parishes, 47 missions

Personnel: 18 priests (16 diocesan, 2 religious), 11 deacons, 32 religious (5 brothers, 27 sisters), 2 seminarians