Metropolitan Archdiocese of Montes Claros, Brazil 🇧🇷

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Montes Claros / Montisclaren(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Janaúba, Januária, Paracatu

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Nossa Senhora Mãe da Igreja (January 1), Saint Pius X (August 21)

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: October 10 (1997)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1910.12.10: Established as Diocese of Montes Claros / Montisclaren(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Diamantina and became suffragan of Mariana)
1914.04.02: Gained territory from Diocese of Uberaba
1917.06.28: Became suffragan of Diamantina
1929.03.01: Lost territory to establish Territorial Prelature of Paracatu
1957.06.15: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Januária
2000.07.05: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Janaúba
2001.04.25: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Montes Claros / Montisclaren(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Janaúba, Januária and Paracatu)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2022.12.14 – ...):

Archbishop José Carlos de Souza Campos (57)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Montes Claros (Roman Rite)

Archbishop José Carlos de Souza Campos (57)
(2022.12.14 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Montes Claros (Brazil)

Aspicientes in Jesum

Born:	1968.03.03 (Itaúna, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1993.05.30
Consecrated Bishop:	2014.05.25

Priest of Divinópolis (Brazil) (1993.05.30 – 2014.02.26)

Bishop of Divinópolis (Brazil) (2014.02.26 – 2022.12.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (2022.12.14 – ...)

Archbishop João Justino de Medeiros Silva (58)
(2018.11.21 – 2021.12.09)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Goiânia (Brazil)
Vice-President of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil

Para dar testemunho da luz

Born:	1966.12.22 (Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1992.12.13
Consecrated Bishop:	2012.02.11

Priest of Juiz de Fora (Brazil) (1992.12.13 – 2011.12.21)

Titular Bishop of Tullia (2011.12.21 – 2017.02.22)

Auxiliary Bishop of Belo Horizonte (Brazil) (2011.12.21 – 2017.02.22)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (2017.02.22 – 2018.11.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (2018.11.21 – 2021.12.09)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Goiânia (Brazil) (2021.12.09 – ...)

Vice-President of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (2023.04.24 – ...)

Archbishop José Alberto Moura, C.S.S. (82)
(2007.02.07 – 2018.11.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Montes Claros (Brazil)

Acreditei por isso falei

Born:	1943.10.23 (Ituiutaba, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1971.01.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1990.07.14

Superior General of Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata (Stigmatines) (1982.02.04 – 1988.02.01)

Coadjutor Bishop of Uberlândia (Brazil) (1990.04.18 – 1992.12.23)

Bishop of Uberlândia (Brazil) (1992.12.23 – 2007.02.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (2007.02.07 – 2018.11.21)

Archbishop Geraldo Majela de Castro, O. Praem.
(2001.04.25 – 2007.02.07)

Ite et Vos

Born:	1930.06.24 (Montes Claros, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1953.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1982.09.08
Died:	2015.05.14 († 84)

Coadjutor Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1982.06.15 – 1988.06.01)

Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1988.06.01 – 2001.04.25)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (2001.04.25 – 2007.02.07)

Bishops of Montes Claros (Roman Rite)

Bishop Geraldo Majela de Castro, O. Praem. (later Archbishop)
(1988.06.01 – 2001.04.25)

(see above)

Bishop José Alves de Sà Trindade
(1956.05.27 – 1988.06.01)

Omnes unum

Born:	1912.10.07 (Lagoa Dourada, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1937.03.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1948.11.21
Died:	2005.03.08 († 92)

Bishop of Bonfim (Brazil) (1948.09.04 – 1956.05.27)

Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1956.05.27 – 1988.06.01)

Bishop Luís Victor Sartori
(1952.03.04 – 1956.01.10)

In bonitate et justitia et veritate

Born:	1904.08.30 (Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1927.01.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1952.06.01
Died:	1970.04.10 († 65)

Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1952.03.04 – 1956.01.10)

Titular Bishop of Celerina (1956.01.10 – 1960.09.14)

Coadjutor Bishop of Santa Maria (Brazil) (1956.01.10 – 1960.09.14)

Bishop of Santa Maria (Brazil) (1960.09.14 – 1970.04.10)

Bishop Antônio de Almeida Moraes Junior (later Archbishop)
(1948.09.29 – 1951.11.17)

Anuntiabo veritatem

Born:	1904.06.26 (Sapucaí-Mirim, MG, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1927.10.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1948.12.12
Died:	1984.11.12 († 80)

Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1948.09.29 – 1951.11.17)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Olinda e Recife (Brazil) (1951.11.17 – 1960.03.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Niterói (Brazil) (1960.03.26 – 1979.04.19)

Bishop Aristides de Araújo Porto
(1943.07.20 – 1947.04.07)

In sanctitate et justitia

Born:	1882.10.05 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1905.07.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1931.08.30
Died:	1947.04.07 († 64)

Titular Bishop of Theveste (1931.05.08 – 1943.07.20)

Coadjutor Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1931.05.08 – 1943.07.20)

Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1943.07.20 – 1947.04.07)

Bishop João Antônio Pimenta
(1911.03.07 – 1943.07.20)

Sub umbra alarum tuarum

Born:	1859.12.11 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1883.06.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1906.05.20
Died:	1943.07.20 († 83)

Titular Bishop of Pentacomia (1906.02.21 – 1911.03.07)

Coadjutor Bishop of Porto Alegre (Brazil) (1906.02.21 – 1911.03.07)

Bishop of Montes Claros (Brazil) (1911.03.07 – 1943.07.20)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop João Justino de Medeiros Silva (58) (2017.02.22 – 2018.11.21)
Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Geraldo Majela de Castro, O. Praem. (later Archbishop) (1982.06.15 – 1988.06.01)
Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Aristides de Araújo Porto (1931.05.08 – 1943.07.20)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (56)

Patos de Minas (↙), Paracatu (←), Januária (↖), Janaúba (↗), Almenara (→), Araçuaí (→), Diamantina (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 45,521 km²

Population: 698,000 Catholics (78.9% of 885,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 68 parishes

Personnel: 129 priests (93 diocesan, 36 religious), 42 deacons, 120 religious (41 brothers, 79 sisters), 25 seminarians