Diocese of Rancagua, Chile 🇨🇱

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Rancagua / Rancaguen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Santiago

Neighbouring Dioceses: Melipilla (↖), San Bernardo (↑), San Rafael (→), Talca (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: La Santa Cruz

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1925.10.18: Established as Diocese of Rancagua / Rancaguen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago and became suffragan of Santiago)
1970.04.30: Gained territory from Diocese of Talca
1970.06.18: Lost territory to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago

Contact Info

Address: O’Carrol 535, Rancagua, Chile

Phone: 72-334500

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.06.08 – ...):

Bishop Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto (68)

Monsignors (5)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Rancagua (Roman Rite)

Bishop Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto (68)
(2021.06.08 – ...)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile)

El auxilio me viene del Señor

Born:	1958.06.07 (Isla de Maipo, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1982.06.12
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.05.31

Priest of Santiago (Chile) (1982.06.12 – 1991.04.04)

Priest of Melipilla (Chile) (1991.04.04 – 2003.04.10)

Bishop-Prelate of Calama (Chile) (2003.04.10 – 2010.02.20)

Bishop of San Juan Bautista de Calama (Chile) (2010.02.20 – 2014.02.22)

Bishop of Iquique (Chile) (2014.02.22 – 2021.06.08)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (2021.06.08 – ...)

Bishop Juan Ignacio González Errázuriz, Opus Dei (70)
(Apostolic Administrator 2020.03.02 – 2021.06.08)

Bishop Luis Fernando Ramos Pérez (67) (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2018.06.28 – 2019.12.27)

Bishop Alejandro Goić Karmelić
(2004.04.23 – 2018.06.28)

Cristo es mi vida

Born:	1940.03.07 (Punta Arenas, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1966.03.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1979.05.27
Died:	2025.09.01 (Rancagua, Chile † 85)

Priest of Punta Arenas (Chile) (1966.03.12 – 1979.04.23)

Auxiliary Bishop of Concepción (Chile) (1979.04.23 – 1991.06.30)

Titular Bishop of Africa (1979.04.23 – 1994.10.27)

Apostolic Administrator of Concepción (Chile) (1988.07.29 – 1989.10.14)

Auxiliary Bishop of Talca (Chile) (1991.06.30 – 1994.10.27)

Bishop of Osorno (Chile) (1994.10.27 [1994.11.25] – 2003.07.10)

Coadjutor Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (2003.07.10 – 2004.04.23)

President of Episcopal Conference of Chile (2004 – 2010.11)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (2004.04.23 – 2018.06.28)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Chile (2010.11 – 2016.10.21)

Bishop Francisco Javier Prado Aránguiz, SS.CC.
(1993.04.16 – 2004.04.23)

Crux spes unica

Born:	1929.03.08 (Santiago, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1953.09.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1984.09.02
Died:	2020.06.23 (Santiago, Chile † 91)

Bishop of Iquique (Chile) (1984.07.09 – 1988.04.28)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Chile (1987 – 2003)

Auxiliary Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1988.04.28 – 1993.04.16)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1993.04.16 – 2004.04.23)

Bishop Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez (later Cardinal)
(1987.11.25 – 1993.04.16)

Oportet illum crescere

Born:	1926.12.23 (Santiago, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1954.06.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1985.01.06
Created Cardinal:	1998.02.21
Died:	2021.10.03 (Santiago, Chile † 94)

Priest of Santiago (Chile) (1954.06.12 – 1984.12.18)

Chaplain of His Holiness (1982.01.09 – 1984.12.18)

Titular Bishop of Thibilis (1984.12.18 – 1987.11.25)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1987.11.25 – 1993.04.16)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1993.04.16 – 1996.06.21)

Pro-Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (1996.06.21 – 1998.02.23)

Archbishop ad personam (1996.09.19 – 1998.02.21)

Cardinal-Deacon of S. Saba (1998.02.21 [1998.05.24] – 2008.03.01)

Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (1998.02.23 – 2002.10.01)

Protodeacon of College of Cardinals (2005.02.24 – 2007.02.23)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Saba pro hac vice Title (2008.03.01 – 2021.10.03)

Bishop Alejandro Durán Moreira
(1970.02.02 – 1986.05.30)

Born:	1914.12.18 (San Bernardo, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1938.12.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1959.06.11
Died:	2003.04.19 (Rancagua, Chile † 88)

Priest of Rancagua (Chile) (1938.12.07 – 1959.04.17)

Bishop of San Carlos de Ancud (Chile) (1959.04.17 – 1966.03.31)

Bishop of Los Ángeles (Chile) (1966.03.31 – 1970.02.02)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1970.02.02 – 1986.05.30)

Bishop Eduardo Larraín Cordovez
(1938.07.09 – 1970.02.02)

Born:	1890.05.07 (San Bernardo, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1913.05.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1938.09.21
Died:	1970.10.20 († 80)

Priest of Santiago (Chile) (1913.05.04 – 1938.07.09)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1938.07.09 – 1970.02.02)

Titular Bishop of Vegesela in Numidia (1970.02.02 – 1970.10.20)

Bishop Rafael Lira Infante
(1925.12.14 – 1938.03.18)

Born:	1879.05.15 (Santiago, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1912.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1926.01.03
Died:	1958.10.26 († 79)

Priest of Santiago (Chile) (1912.12.21 – 1925.12.14)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1925.12.14 – 1938.03.18)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1938.03.18 – 1958.10.26)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Alejandro Goić Karmelić (2003.07.10 – 2004.04.23)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Luis Gleisner Wobbe, Opus Dei (90) (1991.07.03 – 2001.07.10)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Raul Silva Silva (1963.11.23 – 1994.11.16)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de Santa Cruz, Rancagua, O’Higgins
Minor Basilica: Basílica de Santa Ana, Rengo, O’Higgins
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (73)

Melipilla (↖), San Bernardo (↑), San Rafael (→), Talca (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 16,046 km²

Population: 715,264 Catholics (71.3% of 1,002,525 total)

Pastoral Centres: 67 parishes, 675 missions

Personnel: 97 priests (58 diocesan, 39 religious), 70 deacons, 140 religious (49 brothers, 91 sisters), 5 seminarians