Diocese of

Machala

Ecuador

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Machala / Machalen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Cuenca

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1954.07.26: Established as Territorial Prelature of El Oro (from Diocese of Guayaquil and Diocese of Loja and became suffragan of Quito)
1956.01.22: Became suffragan of Guayaquil
1961.09.11: Became suffragan of Cuenca
1969.01.31: Promoted as Diocese of Machala / Machalen(sis) (Latin)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2022.09.27 – ...):

Bishop Vicente Horacio Saeteros Sierra (56)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Machala (Roman Rite)

Bishop Vicente Horacio Saeteros Sierra (56)
(2022.09.27 – ...)

Bishop of Machala (Ecuador)

Fiat misericordia tua

Born:	1968.04.06 (Santa Ana, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	2000.03.25
Consecrated Bishop:	2020.08.15

Priest of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (2000.03.25 – 2020.05.16)

Titular Bishop of Rusuccuru (2020.05.16 – 2022.09.27)

Auxiliary Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (2020.05.16 – 2022.09.27)

Bishop of Machala (Ecuador) (2022.09.27 – ...)

Bishop Ángel Polivio Sánchez Loaiza (78)
(2013.07.20 – 2022.09.27)

Bishop emeritus of Machala (Ecuador)

Born:	1946.09.10 (Ayapamba, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1975.08.03
Consecrated Bishop:	2004.12.18

Priest of Machala (Ecuador) (1975.08.03 – 2004.11.25)

Bishop of Guaranda (Ecuador) (2004.11.25 – 2013.07.20)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (2008 – 2014)

Bishop of Machala (Ecuador) (2013.07.20 – 2022.09.27)

Bishop Hermenegildo José Torres Asanza (58)
(Apostolic Administrator 2012.10.22 – 2013.07.20)

Bishop Luis Antonio Sánchez Armijos, S.D.B. (81)
(2010.02.22 – 2012.10.22)

Bishop emeritus of Machala (Ecuador)

Born:	1943.07.27 (Olmedo, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1975.01.31
Consecrated Bishop:	2002.07.27

Bishop of Tulcán (Ecuador) (2002.06.15 – 2010.02.22)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (2005 – 2008)

Bishop of Machala (Ecuador) (2010.02.22 – 2012.10.22)

Bishop Néstor Rafael Herrera Heredia (91)
(1982.01.14 – 2010.02.22)

Bishop emeritus of Machala (Ecuador)

Born:	1933.10.23 (Pujili, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1957.07.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1982.02.14

Bishop of Machala (Ecuador) (1982.01.14 – 2010.02.22)

President of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (2005.07 – 2008.04)

Fr. Jesús Ramón Martínez de Ezquerecocha Suso (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1980 – 1982.01.14)

Bishop Antonio José González Zumárraga (later Cardinal)
(1978.01.30 – 1980.06.28)

Spiritus unitatis unitas caritate

Born:	1925.03.18 (Pujilí, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1951.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.06.15
Created Cardinal:	2001.02.21
Died:	2008.10.13 (Valle de los Chillos, Ecuador † 83)

Priest of Quito (Ecuador) (1951.06.29 – 1969.05.17)

Titular Bishop of Tagarata (1969.05.17 – 1978.01.30)

Auxiliary Bishop of Quito (Ecuador) (1969.05.17 – 1978.01.30)

Bishop of Machala (Ecuador) (1978.01.30 – 1980.06.28)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Quito (Ecuador) (1980.06.28 – 1985.06.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Quito (Ecuador) (1985.06.01 – 2003.03.21)

President of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (1987 – 1993)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Via (2001.02.21 [2001.02.25] – 2008.10.13)

Bishop Vicente Felicísimo Maya Guzmán
(1969.01.31 – 1978.01.30)

Born:	1911.09.18 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1937.07.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1964.02.02
Died:	1980.09.19 († 69)

Apostolic Administrator of El Oro (Ecuador) (1956 – 1963.11.29)

Titular Bishop of Comana pontica (1963.11.29 – 1969.01.31)

Bishop-Prelate of El Oro (Ecuador) (1963.11.29 – 1969.01.31)

Bishop of Machala (Ecuador) (1969.01.31 – 1978.01.30)

Prelates of El Oro (Roman Rite)

Bishop Vicente Felicísimo Maya Guzmán
(1963.11.29 – 1969.01.31)

(see above)

Fr. Vicente Felicísimo Maya Guzmán (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1956 – 1963.11.29)

Bishop Silvio Luis Haro Alvear
(Apostolic Administrator 1954 – 1955.03.23)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Hermenegildo José Torres Asanza (58) (2007.10.30 – 2018.10.04)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Machala, El Oro

San Jacinto (↑), Cuenca (↗), Loja (↘), Piura (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 6,188 km²

Population: 605,322 Catholics (87.5% of 691,796 total)

Pastoral Centres: 28 parishes

Personnel: 40 priests (25 diocesan, 15 religious), 1 deacon, 98 religious (15 brothers, 83 sisters), 8 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.01.03

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