Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Ciudad Bolívar / Civitatis Bolivaren(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Ciudad Guayana, Maturín

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Celebrations

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: June 7

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1790.05.20: Established as Diocese of Santo Tomás de Guayana / Guayana / Guayana of the West Indies / Sancti Thomæ in Guayensis (Latin) (from Diocese of Puerto Rico and became suffragan of Santo Domingo)
1803.11.24: Became suffragan of Caracas
1818.02.23: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Trinidad
1922.03.04: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Caroní
1922.10.12: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Cumaná
1932.02.05: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Alto Orinoco
1953.01.02: Renamed as Diocese of Ciudad Bolívar / Civitatis Bolivaren(sis) (Latin)
1954.06.07: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Barcelona
1958.05.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Maturín
1958.06.21: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ciudad Bolívar / Civitatis Bolivaren(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Barcelona, Cumaná and Maturín)
1969.07.18: Gained suffragan see Margarita
1979.08.20: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Ciudad Guayana and gained suffragan see Ciudad Guayana
1988.03.25: Lost territory to Diocese of Ciudad Guayana
1992.05.16: Lost suffragan sees Barcelona, Cumaná and Margarita

Contact Info

Address: Avenida Andrés Eloy Blanco, Esquina con Avenida Naiguatá, Ciudad Bolívar Apdo. 43, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2011.08.27 – ...):

Archbishop Ulises Antonio Gutiérrez Reyes, O. de M. (73)

Second Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Ciudad Bolívar (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Ulises Antonio Gutiérrez Reyes, O. de M. (73)
(2011.08.27 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela)
Second Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela

Born:	1951.04.29 (Pedregal, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1977.12.27
Consecrated Bishop:	2004.02.27

Bishop of Carora (Venezuela) (2003.12.05 – 2011.08.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela) (2011.08.27 – ...)

Second Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2022.01.07 – ...)

Archbishop Medardo Luis Luzardo Romero
(1986.05.26 – 2011.08.27)

Born:	1935.04.17 (Los Puertos de Altagracia, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1960.01.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1972.07.25
Died:	2018.11.27 (Los Puertos de Altagracia, Venezuela † 83)

Bishop of San Carlos de Venezuela (Venezuela) (1972.05.16 – 1979.08.20)

Bishop of Ciudad Guayana (Venezuela) (1979.08.20 – 1986.05.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela) (1986.05.26 – 2011.08.27)

Archbishop Crisanto Darío Mata Cova
(1966.04.30 – 1986.05.26)

Born:	1915.10.25 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1939.04.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.11.13
Died:	1998.01.09 († 82)

Bishop of Cumaná (Venezuela) (1949.10.21 – 1966.04.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela) (1966.04.30 – 1986.05.26)

Archbishop Juan José Bernal Ortiz
(1958.06.21 – 1965.07.25)

Born:	1907.02.02 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1930.04.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.11.13
Died:	1980.10.19 († 73)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1949.10.21 – 1953.01.02)

Bishop of Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela) (1953.01.02 – 1958.06.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela) (1958.06.21 – 1965.07.25)

Archbishop-Bishop of Los Teques (Venezuela) (1965.07.25 – 1980.10.19)

Bishops of Ciudad Bolívar (Roman Rite)

Bishop Juan José Bernal Ortiz (later Archbishop)
(1953.01.02 – 1958.06.21)

(see above)

Bishops of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Roman Rite)

Bishop Juan José Bernal Ortiz (later Archbishop)
(1949.10.21 – 1953.01.02)

(see above)

Bishop Miguel Antonio Mejía
(1923.06.19 – 1947.10.08)

Born:	1877.06.01 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1901.10.13
Consecrated Bishop:	1923.10.25
Died:	1947.10.08 († 70)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1923.06.19 – 1947.10.08)

Bishop Sixto Sosa Díz
(1918.12.05 – 1923.06.16)

Born:	1870.10.20 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1894.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1915.10.28
Died:	1943.05.29 († 72)

Titular Bishop of Claudiopolis (1915.06.14 – 1918.12.05)

Apostolic Administrator of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1915.06.14 – 1918.12.05)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1918.12.05 – 1923.06.16)

Bishop of Cumaná (Venezuela) (1923.06.16 – 1943.05.29)

Bishop Sixto Sosa Díz
(Apostolic Administrator 1915.06.14 – 1918.12.05)

Bishop Antonio María Durán
(1891.09.25 – 1917.07.18)

Born:	1839.01.16 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1862.04.05
Consecrated Bishop:	1891.12.06
Died:	1917.07.18 († 78)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1891.09.25 – 1917.07.18)

Bishop Manuel Felipe Rodríguez Delgado
(1885.07.30 – 1887.12.13)

Born:	1848.05.25 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1873
Consecrated Bishop:	1885.12.13
Died:	1887.12.13 († 39)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1885.07.30 – 1887.12.13)

Bishop José Manuel Arroyo Niño
(1856.06.19 – 1884.11.30)

Born:	1814.04.09
Ordained Priest:	1838.08.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1856.12.07
Died:	1884.11.30 († 70)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1856.06.19 – 1884.11.30)

Bishop Mariano Fernández Fortique
(1841.07.12 – 1854.02.06)

Born:	1791.02.24 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1815.05.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1842.04.03
Died:	1866.11.11 († 75)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1841.07.12 – 1854.02.06)

Titular Bishop of Capharnaum (1854.08.18 – 1866.11.11)

Bishop Mariano Talavera y Garcés
(1828.12.15 – 1842)

Born:	1777.09.22 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1801
Consecrated Bishop:	1829.08.15
Died:	1861.12.23 († 84)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1828.12.15 – 1842)

Titular Bishop of Tricale (1828.12.15 – 1861.12.23)

Fr. José Ventura y Cabello
(1809.02.20 – 1817.08.21 not possessed)

Died:

1817.08.21

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1809.02.20 – 1817.08.21 not possessed)

Bishop José Antonio García Mohedano
(1800.08.11 – 1804.10.17)

Born:	1741.04.20 (Spain)
Consecrated Bishop:	1801.08.16
Died:	1804.10.17 († 63)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1800.08.11 – 1804.10.17)

Bishop Francisco de Ibarra y Herrera (later Archbishop)
(1791.12.19 – 1798.12.14)

Born:	1726.09.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1792.05.27
Died:	1806.09.19 († 80)

Bishop of Santo Tomás de Guayana (Venezuela) (1791.12.19 – 1798.12.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela) (1798.12.14 – 1803.11.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela) (1803.11.27 – 1806.09.19)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop José de Jesús Nuñez Viloria (1982.01.08 – 1987.01.13)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Francisco de Guruceaga Iturriza, Opus Dei (1967.03.31 – 1969.06.18)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Tomás Enrique Márquez Gómez (1963.06.25 – 1966.11.30)