Diocese of Cruz Alta, Brazil 🇧🇷

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Name: Cruz Alta / Crucis Altæ (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Santa Maria

Neighbouring Dioceses: Santo Ângelo (←), Frederico Westphalen (↑), Passo Fundo (↗), Santa Cruz do Sul (↘), Cachoeira do Sul (↘), Santa Maria (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Divino Espírito Santo

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1971.05.27: Established as Diocese of Cruz Alta / Crucis Altæ (Latin) (from Diocese of Santa Maria and became suffragan of Porto Alegre)
1997.12.12: Lost territory to Diocese of Passo Fundo
2011.04.13: Became suffragan of Santa Maria

Present Prelates

Bishop (2023.03.29 – ...):

Bishop Nélio Domingos Zortea (62)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Cruz Alta (Roman Rite)

Bishop Nélio Domingos Zortea (62)
(2023.03.29 – ...)

Bishop of Cruz Alta (Brazil)

Segregatus in evangelium Dei

Born:	1963.12.01 (Iraí, RS, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1995.10.12
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.01.30

Priest of Cascavel (Brazil) (1995.10.12 – 2015.11.18)

Bishop of Jataí (Brazil) (2015.11.18 – 2023.03.29)

Bishop of Cruz Alta (Brazil) (2023.03.29 – ...)

Bishop Adelar Baruffi (56) (later Archbishop)
(2014.12.17 – 2021.09.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Cascavel (Brazil)

Servo de Jesus Cristo

Born:	1969.10.19 (Garibaldi, RS, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1995.01.12
Consecrated Bishop:	2015.03.07

Priest of Caxias do Sul (Brazil) (1995.01.12 – 2014.12.17)

Bishop of Cruz Alta (Brazil) (2014.12.17 – 2021.09.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cascavel (Brazil) (2021.09.22 – 2024.02.12)

Archbishop Hélio Adelar Rubert (80)
(Apostolic Administrator 2014.06.11 – 2014.12.17)

Bishop Frederico Heimler, S.D.B.
(2002.05.08 – 2014.06.11)

O Espírito do Senhor está sobre mim, porque me ungiu para evangelizar os pobres

Born:	1942.02.17 (Unterlammerthal, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1970.07.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1999.01.31
Died:	2018.11.07 (Campo Grande, MS, Brazil † 76)

Coadjutor Bishop of Umuarama (Brazil) (1998.12.09 – 2002.05.08)

Bishop of Cruz Alta (Brazil) (2002.05.08 – 2014.06.11)

Bishop Jacó Roberto Hilgert
(1976.07.19 – 2002.05.08)

Ecce Mater tua

Born:	1926.01.27 (Harmonia, RS, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1952.11.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1976.09.26
Died:	2020.12.17 (Cruz Alta, RS, Brazil † 94)

Bishop of Cruz Alta (Brazil) (1976.07.19 – 2002.05.08)

Bishop Nei Paulo Moretto
(1972.11.16 – 1976.01.21)

Tudo é Graça

Born:	1936.05.25 (Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1961.07.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1973.01.28
Died:	2023.04.06 (Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil † 86)

Priest of Caxias do Sul (Brazil) (1961.07.02 – 1972.11.16)

Bishop of Cruz Alta (Brazil) (1972.11.16 – 1976.01.21)

Titular Bishop of Thubursicum (1976.01.21 – 1983.05.26)

Coadjutor Bishop of Caxias do Sul (Brazil) (1976.01.21 – 1983.05.26)

Bishop of Caxias do Sul (Brazil) (1983.05.26 – 2011.07.06)

Bishop Walmor Battú Wichrowski
(1971.05.27 – 1972.11.16)

Born:	1920.10.27 (Ijuí, RS, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1945.12.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1958.05.25
Died:	2001.10.31 (Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil † 81)

Titular Bishop of Sanavus (1958.02.14 – 1960.04.23)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santos (Brazil) (1958.02.14 – 1960.04.23)

Bishop of Nova Iguaçu (Brazil) (1960.04.23 – 1961.05.31)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Maria (Brazil) (1961.05.31 – 1965)

Titular Bishop of Phelbes (1961.05.31 – 1971.05.27)

Bishop of Cruz Alta (Brazil) (1971.05.27 – 1972.11.16)

Titular Bishop of Phelbes (1972.11.16 – 2001.10.31)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Pedro Ercílio Simon (later Archbishop) (1990.10.24 – 1995.07.05)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Divino Espírito Santo, Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)

Churches by City (33)

Santo Ângelo (←), Frederico Westphalen (↑), Passo Fundo (↗), Santa Cruz do Sul (↘), Cachoeira do Sul (↘), Santa Maria (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 16,790 km²

Population: 263,938 Catholics (68.4% of 386,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 31 parishes, 519 missions

Personnel: 40 priests (28 diocesan, 12 religious), 9 deacons, 53 religious (12 brothers, 41 sisters), 4 seminarians