Diocese of Melo, Uruguay

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Melo / Melen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Montevideo

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, St. Raphael

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1897.04.14: Established as Diocese of Melo / Melen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Montevideo and became suffragan of Montevideo)
1931.08.11: Suppressed (to establish Diocese of Florida–Melo)
1955.11.15: Restored as Diocese of Melo / Melen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Florida–Melo and became suffragan of Montevideo)
1960.06.25: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Minas

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1988.05)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.09.15 – ...):

Bishop Pablo Alfonso Jourdán Alvariza (61)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Melo (Roman Rite)

Bishop Pablo Alfonso Jourdán Alvariza (61)
(2021.09.15 – ...)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay)

En el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo

Born:	1964.01.23 (Montevideo, Uruguay)
Ordained Priest:	1995.11.05
Consecrated Bishop:	2018.09.30

Priest of Minas (Uruguay) (1995.11.05 – 2018.07.24)

Titular Bishop of Medianas Zabuniorum (2018.07.24 – 2021.09.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of Montevideo (Uruguay) (2018.07.24 – 2021.09.15)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (2021.09.15 – ...)

Bishop Heriberto Andrés Bodeant Fernández (69)
(2009.06.13 – 2021.03.19)

Bishop of Canelones (Uruguay)
General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Uruguay

Nada es imposible para Dios

Born:	1955.06.15 (Young, Uruguay)
Ordained Priest:	1986.09.27
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.09.27

Priest of Salto (Uruguay) (1986.09.27 – 2003.06.28)

Titular Bishop of Ampora (2003.06.28 – 2009.06.13)

Auxiliary Bishop of Salto (Uruguay) (2003.06.28 – 2009.06.13)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (2009.06.13 – 2021.03.19)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Uruguay (2013.01 – 2016.04.01)

Bishop of Canelones (Uruguay) (2021.03.19 – ...)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Uruguay (2021.11.16 [2022.04.01] – ...)

Bishop Luis Serapio del Castillo Estrada, S.J. (93)
(1999.12.21 – 2009.06.13)

Bishop emeritus of Melo (Uruguay)

Born:	1931.06.21 (Montevideo, Uruguay)
Ordained Priest:	1966.07.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1988.06.11

Titular Bishop of Tarasa in Numidia (1988.04.09 – 1999.12.21)

Auxiliary Bishop of Montevideo (Uruguay) (1988.04.09 – 1999.12.21)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1999.12.21 – 2009.06.13)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Uruguay (2003 – 2006)

Bishop Nicolás Cotugno Fanizzi, S.D.B. (86) (later Archbishop)
(1996.06.13 – 1998.12.04)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Montevideo (Uruguay)

Cristo me envió para evangelizar

Born:	1938.09.21 (Sesto San Giovanni, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1967.07.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1996.07.28

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1996.06.13 – 1998.12.04)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay) (1998.12.04 – 2014.02.11)

Bishop Roberto Reinaldo Cáceres González
(1962.01.02 – 1996.04.23)

Born:	1921.04.16 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1945.07.15
Consecrated Bishop:	1962.03.19
Died:	2019.01.13 (Montevideo, Uganda † 97)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1962.01.02 – 1996.04.23)

Bishop Orestes Santiago Nuti Sanguinetti, S.D.B.
(1960.07.09 – 1962.01.02)

Hacia praderas ubérrimas

Born:	1919.10.15 (Uruguay)
Ordained Priest:	1946.12.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1960.08.21
Died:	1999.11.02 († 80)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1960.07.09 – 1962.01.02)

Bishop of Canelones (Uruguay) (1962.01.02 – 1994.10.25)

President of Episcopal Conference of Uruguay (1988 – 1991)

Bishop José Maria Cavallero Gómez
(1955.12.20 – 1960.07.09)

La Palabra de Dios no está encadenada

Born:	1899.09.14
Ordained Priest:	1928.04.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1952.10.26
Died:	1963.05.29 († 63)

Titular Bishop of Uthina (1952.07.16 – 1955.12.20)

Auxiliary Bishop of Salto (Uruguay) (1952.07.16 – 1955.12.20)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1955.12.20 – 1960.07.09)

Bishop of Minas (Uruguay) (1960.07.09 – 1963.05.29)

Bishop Miguel Paternain, C.SS.R. (later Archbishop)
(1929.04.20 – 1931.08.11)

Oportet Christum regnare

Born:	1894.11.16
Ordained Priest:	1921.02.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1929.07.21
Died:	1970.10.19 († 75)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1929.04.20 – 1931.08.11)

Bishop of Florida–Melo (Uruguay) (1931.08.11 – 1955.11.15)

Bishop of Florida (Uruguay) (1955.11.15 – 1960.02.27)

Titular Bishop of Mades (1960.02.27 – 1960.09.21)

Titular Archbishop of Acrida (1960.09.21 – 1970.10.19)

Bishop José Joaquín Manuel Eloy Arróspide Echeverría
(1922.07.21 – 1928.04.18)

Born:	1862.06.25 (Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1890.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1923.02.25
Died:	1928.04.18 († 65)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1922.07.21 – 1928.04.18)

Bishop José Marcos Semeria
(1919.07.03 – 1922.06.09)

Superimpendar pro animabus vestris

Born:	1855.03.10
Ordained Priest:	1880.01.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1919.11.09
Died:	1934.10.11 († 79)

Bishop of Melo (Uruguay) (1919.07.03 – 1922.06.09)

Titular Bishop of Prusa (1922.06.09 – 1934.10.11)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nuestra Señora del Pilar y San Rafael, Melo, Cerro Largo

Churches by City (16)

Florida (↙), Tacuarembó (↖), Bagé (↑), Pelotas (↗), Rio Grande (→), Maldonado–Punta del Este–Minas (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 23,177 km²

Population: 102,770 Catholics (73.5% of 139,835 total)

Pastoral Centres: 14 parishes, 34 missions

Personnel: 12 priests (9 diocesan, 3 religious), 4 deacons, 24 religious (3 brothers, 21 sisters), 1 seminarian