Diocese of

El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia

Venezuela

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (español) / Vigilantis–Sancti Caroli Zulien(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Maracaibo

Neighbouring Dioceses: Machiques (↖), Trujillo (↗), Mérida (→), San Cristóbal de Venezuela (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Celebrations

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: October 22

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1994.07.07: Established as Diocese of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (español) / Vigilantis–Sancti Caroli Zulien(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Maracaibo, Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mérida and Diocese of Cabimas and became suffragan of Maracaibo)

Contact Info

Address: Avenida 1ª, Nº 8 -108, Urbanización Buenos Aires, El Vigía, Estado Mérida, Venezuela

Present Prelates

Bishop:

vacant

Ordinaries

Bishops of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (Roman Rite)

Bishop Juan de Dios Peña Rojas (59)
(2015.04.17 – 2026.07.29)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela)

Born:	1967.08.08 (Acequias, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1992.08.22
Consecrated Bishop:	2015.07.04

Priest of Mérida (Venezuela) (1992.08.22 – 2015.04.17)

Bishop of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (Venezuela) (2015.04.17 – 2026.07.29)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela) (2026.07.29 – ...)

Fr. Germán Marín
(Apostolic Administrator 2013 – 2015.04.17)

Bishop José Luis Azuaje Ayala (68) (later Archbishop)
(2006.07.15 – 2013.08.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela)
Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela
First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council

Born:	1957.12.06 (Valera, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1984.05.05
Consecrated Bishop:	1999.05.29

Priest of Trujillo (Venezuela) (1984.05.05 – 1999.03.18)

Titular Bishop of Italica (1999.03.18 – 2006.07.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of Barquisimeto (Venezuela) (1999.03.18 – 2006.07.15)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2001 – 2006)

Apostolic Administrator of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (Venezuela) (2005 – 2006.07.15)

Bishop of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (Venezuela) (2006.07.15 – 2013.08.30)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2012.01.12 – 2018.01.09)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela) (2013.08.30 – 2018.05.24)

President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2018.01.09 – 2022.01.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela) (2018.05.24 – ...)

First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (2023.05.17 – ...)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2025.02.11 – ...)

Bishop José Luis Azuaje Ayala (68) (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2005 – 2006.07.15)

Bishop William Enrique Delgado Silva (75)
(1999.04.14 – 2005.07.26)

Bishop emeritus of Cabimas (Venezuela)

Born:	1951.02.27 (Caracas, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1975.05.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1995.12.16

Titular Bishop of Vazi-Sarra (1995.11.03 – 1999.04.14)

Auxiliary Bishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela) (1995.11.03 – 1999.04.14)

Bishop of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (Venezuela) (1999.04.14 – 2005.07.26)

Bishop of Cabimas (Venezuela) (2005.07.26 – 2018.09.14)

Archbishop Domingo Roa Pérez
(Apostolic Administrator 1994.07.07 – 1999.04.14)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro, El Vigia, Mérida
Co-Cathedral: Concatedral San Carlos Borromeo, San Carlos del Zulia, Zulia

Machiques (↖), Trujillo (↗), Mérida (→), San Cristóbal de Venezuela (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 8,057 km²

Population: 438,800 Catholics (78.2% of 561,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 33 parishes

Personnel: 37 priests (diocesan), 14 religious (14 sisters), 15 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.08.08

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