Diocese of

Pesqueira

Brazil

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Pesqueira / Pesqueiren(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Olinda e Recife

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Joseph (March 19)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1918.08.02: Established as Diocese of Pesqueira / Pesqueiren(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Olinda e Recife, from the suppressed Diocese of Floresta and became suffragan of Olinda e Recife)
1923.11.30: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Petrolina
1956.07.02: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Afogados da Ingazeira
1964.02.15: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Floresta

Present Prelates

Bishop (2012.02.15 – ...):

Bishop José Luiz Ferreira Salles, C.SS.R. (68)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Pesqueira (Roman Rite)

Bishop José Luiz Ferreira Salles, C.SS.R. (68)
(2012.02.15 – ...)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil)

Born:	1957.01.23 (Itirapina, SP, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1985.12.14
Consecrated Bishop:	2006.03.17

Titular Bishop of Tipasa in Numidia (2006.02.01 – 2012.02.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of Fortaleza (Brazil) (2006.02.01 – 2012.02.15)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (2012.02.15 – ...)

Bishop Francesco Biasin (82)
(2003.07.23 – 2011.06.08)

Bishop emeritus of Barra do Piraí–Volta Redonda (Brazil)

Dar a vida pelos irmãos

Born:	1943.09.06 (Arzercavalli, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1968.04.20
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.10.12

Priest of Padova (Italy) (1968.04.20 – 2003.07.23)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (2003.07.23 – 2011.06.08)

Bishop of Barra do Piraí–Volta Redonda (Brazil) (2011.06.08 – 2019.03.13)

Apostolic Administrator of Corumbá (Brazil) (2023.12.04 – 2024.11.30)

Bishop Bernardino Marchió (82)
(1993.05.26 – 2002.11.06)

Bishop emeritus of Caruaru (Brazil)

Alegres na Esperança

Born:	1943.09.06 (Busca, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1968.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1991.06.29

Coadjutor Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (1991.03.27 – 1993.05.26)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (1993.05.26 – 2002.11.06)

Bishop of Caruaru (Brazil) (2002.11.06 – 2019.07.10)

Bishop Manuel Palmeira da Rocha
(1980.03.14 – 1993.05.26)

Born:	1919.03.02 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1947.11.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1980.04.27
Died:	2002.09.02 († 83)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (1980.03.14 – 1993.05.26)

Bishop Severino Mariano de Aguiar
(1956.12.03 – 1980.03.14)

Monstra esse matrem

Born:	1903.08.14 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1928.09.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1957.03.31
Died:	1995.05.07 († 91)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (1956.12.03 – 1980.03.14)

Bishop Adelmo Cavalcante Machado (later Archbishop)
(1948.04.03 – 1955.06.24)

Apostolus Christi

Born:	1905.03.05 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1927.12.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1948.08.15
Died:	1983.11.28 († 78)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (1948.04.03 – 1955.06.24)

Titular Archbishop of Leotopolis in Pamphylia (1955.06.24 – 1963.10.19)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Maceió (Brazil) (1955.06.24 – 1963.10.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maceió (Brazil) (1963.10.19 – 1976.11.24)

Bishop Adalberto Accioli Sobral (later Archbishop)
(1934.01.13 – 1947.01.18)

Born:	1887.08.02 (Japaratuba, SE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1911.11.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1927.09.04
Died:	1951.05.24 († 63)

Bishop of Barra (Brazil) (1927.04.22 – 1934.01.13)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (1934.01.13 – 1947.01.18)

Metropolitan Archbishop of São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil) (1947.01.18 – 1951.05.24)

Bishop José Antônio de Oliveira Lopes
(1918.08.02 – 1932.11.24)

Born:	1868.04.11 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1892.04.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1915.11.21
Died:	1932.11.24 († 64)

Bishop of Floresta (Brazil) (1915.06.26 – 1918.08.02)

Bishop of Pesqueira (Brazil) (1918.08.02 – 1932.11.24)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Bernardino Marchió (82) (1991.03.27 – 1993.05.26)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Santa Águeda, Pesqueira, Pernambuco
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (27)

Palmeira dos Índios (↙), Floresta (←), Campina Grande (↗), Caruaru (→), Garanhuns (↘)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 10,065 km²

Population: 401,000 Catholics (78.2% of 513,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 22 parishes, 5 missions

Personnel: 44 priests (35 diocesan, 9 religious), 7 deacons, 48 religious (9 brothers, 39 sisters), 11 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.11.08

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