Diocese of

El Paso

USA

Continent: North America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: El Paso / Elpasen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: San Antonio

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Patrick (March 17), Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: March 17

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1914.03.03: Established as Diocese of El Paso / Elpasen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Dallas, Diocese of San Antonio and Diocese of Tucson and became suffragan of New Orleans)
1926.08.03: Became suffragan of San Antonio
1982.08.17: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Las Cruces

Contact Info

Address: 499 St. Matthews, El Paso, TX 79907, USA

Phone: +1 (915) 872-8407

Present Prelates

Bishop (2013.05.06 – ...):	Bishop Mark Joseph Seitz (71)
Auxiliary Bishop (2023.02.08 – ...):	Bishop Anthony Cerdan Celino (53) Titular Bishop of Maronana

Ordinaries

Bishops of El Paso (Roman Rite)

Bishop Mark Joseph Seitz (71)
(2013.05.06 – ...)

Bishop of El Paso (USA)

Paratum cor meum

Born:	1954.01.10 (Milwaukee, WI, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1980.05.17
Consecrated Bishop:	2010.04.27

Priest of Dallas (USA) (1980.05.17 – 2010.03.11)

Titular Bishop of Cozyla (2010.03.11 – 2013.05.06)

Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas (USA) (2010.03.11 – 2013.05.06)

Bishop of El Paso (USA) (2013.05.06 – ...)

Bishop Armando Xavier Ochoa (82)
(Apostolic Administrator 2012.02.02 – 2013.05.06)

Bishop Armando Xavier Ochoa (82)
(1996.04.01 – 2011.12.01)

Bishop emeritus of Fresno (USA)

Preparen el camino del Señor

Born:	1943.04.03 (Oxnard, CA, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1970.05.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1987.02.23

Priest of Los Angeles (USA) (1970.05.23 – 1986.12.29)

Titular Bishop of Sitifis (1986.12.29 – 1996.04.01)

Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles (USA) (1986.12.29 – 1996.04.01)

Bishop of El Paso (USA) (1996.04.01 – 2011.12.01)

Bishop of Fresno (USA) (2011.12.01 – 2019.03.05)

Apostolic Administrator of El Paso (USA) (2012.02.02 – 2013.05.06)

Bishop Raymundo Joseph Peña
(1980.04.29 – 1994.05.23)

Haz todo con amor

Born:	1934.02.19 (Corpus Christi, TX, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1957.05.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1976.12.13
Died:	2021.09.24 (San Juan, TX, USA † 87)

Titular Bishop of Trisipa (1976.10.16 – 1980.04.29)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio (USA) (1976.10.16 – 1980.04.29)

Bishop of El Paso (USA) (1980.04.29 – 1994.05.23)

Bishop of Brownsville (USA) (1994.05.23 – 2009.12.09)

Bishop Patrick Fernández Flores (later Archbishop)
(1978.04.04 – 1979.08.23)

Laborabo non mihi sed omnibus

Born:	1929.07.26 (Ganado, TX, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1956.05.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.05.05
Died:	2017.01.09 († 87)

Titular Bishop of Italica (1970.03.09 – 1978.04.04)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio (USA) (1970.03.09 – 1978.04.04)

Bishop of El Paso (USA) (1978.04.04 – 1979.08.23)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Antonio (USA) (1979.08.23 – 2004.12.29)

Bishop Sidney Matthew Metzger
(1942.11.29 – 1978.03.17)

Born:	1902.07.11 (Fredericksburg, TX, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1926.04.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1940.04.10
Died:	1986.04.12 († 83)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Fe (USA) (1940.01.05 – 1941.12.26)

Titular Bishop of Birtha (1940.01.05 – 1942.11.29)

Coadjutor Bishop of El Paso (USA) (1941.12.26 – 1942.11.29)

Bishop of El Paso (USA) (1942.11.29 – 1978.03.17)

Bishop Anthony Joseph Schuler, S.J.
(1915.06.17 – 1942.11.29)

Born:	1869.09.30 (St. Mary’s, PA, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1901.06.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1915.10.28
Died:	1944.06.03 (Denver, CO, USA † 74)

Bishop of El Paso (USA) (1915.06.17 – 1942.11.29)

Titular Bishop of Aradus (1942.11.29 – 1944.06.03)

Fr. John Joseph Brown, S.J.
(1915.01.22 – 1915.06.16 not possessed)

Born:	1867.02.07 (Eagle Harbor, MI, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1896.06.28
Died:	1947.02.21 (St. Mary’s, KS, USA † 80)

Bishop of El Paso (USA) (1915.01.22 – 1915.06.16 not possessed)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Sidney Matthew Metzger (1941.12.26 – 1942.11.29)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Patrick Cathedral, El Paso, Texas
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (78)

Ciudad Juárez (↙), Las Cruces (↑), San Angelo (→), Piedras Negras (↘), Chihuahua (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 69,090 km²

Population: 720,009 Catholics (78.0% of 923,088 total)

Pastoral Centres: 58 parishes

Personnel: 87 priests (46 diocesan, 41 religious), 47 deacons, 155 religious (55 brothers, 100 sisters), 18 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.10.29

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