Diocese of

Río Gallegos

Argentina , South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Río Gallegos / Rivogallæcen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Bahía Blanca

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint John Bosco (January 31)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1961.04.10: Established as Diocese of Río Gallegos / Rivogallæcen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Comodoro Rivadavia and became suffragan of Bahía Blanca)

Contact Info

Address: Errázuriz 53, Z9400HYA, Río Gallegos, Argentina

Phone: (02966) 422325

Present Prelates

Bishop (2023.08.11 – ...):	Bishop Ignacio Damián Medina (57)
Auxiliary Bishop (2022.05.21 – ...):	Bishop Fabián González Balsa (56) Titular Bishop of Masclianæ

Ordinaries

Bishops of Río Gallegos (Roman Rite)

Bishop Ignacio Damián Medina (57)
(2023.08.11 – ...)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina)

Born:	1967.03.17 (Tandil, Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1994.11.26
Consecrated Bishop:	2020.02.29

Priest of Buenos Aires (Argentina) (1994.11.26 – 2019.11.26)

Titular Bishop of Nepte (2019.11.26 – 2023.08.11)

Auxiliary Bishop of Lomas de Zamora (Argentina) (2019.11.26 – 2023.08.11)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (2023.08.11 – ...)

Bishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva (56) (later Archbishop)
(2019.01.03 – 2023.05.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Ordinary of Argentina of the Eastern Rite (Argentina)
Grand Chancellor of Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina

No apartes tu rostro del pobre

Born:	1968.04.12 (Río Gallegos, Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1997.10.24
Consecrated Bishop:	2018.03.03

Priest of San Isidro (Argentina) (1997.10.24 – 2017.11.20)

Titular Bishop of Lacubaza (2017.11.20 – 2019.01.03)

Auxiliary Bishop of Lomas de Zamora (Argentina) (2017.11.20 – 2019.01.03)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (2019.01.03 – 2023.05.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires (Argentina) (2023.05.26 – ...)

Grand Chancellor of Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (2023.05.26 – ...)

Ordinary of Argentina of the Eastern Rite (Argentina) (2023.11.28 – ...)

Bishop Miguel Ángel D’Annibale
(2013.02.21 – 2018.06.15)

Como el Padre me envió, Yo los envío

Born:	1959.03.27 (Florida, Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1985.12.06
Consecrated Bishop:	2011.04.29
Died:	2020.04.14 (Buenos Aires, Argentina † 61)

Priest of San Isidro (Argentina) (1985.12.06 – 2011.02.19)

Titular Bishop of Nasai (2011.02.19 – 2013.02.21)

Auxiliary Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (2011.02.19 – 2013.02.21)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (2013.02.21 – 2018.06.15)

Bishop of San Martín (Argentina) (2018.06.15 – 2020.04.14)

Bishop Juan Carlos Romanín, S.D.B. (70)
(2005.10.25 – 2012.04.18)

Bishop emeritus of Río Gallegos (Argentina)

Señor, tú lo sabes todo, sabes que te quiero

Born:	1954.11.04 (Sarandi, Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1981.10.24
Consecrated Bishop:	2005.12.17

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (2005.10.25 – 2012.04.18)

Bishop Alejandro Antonio Buccolini, S.D.B.
(1992.07.11 – 2005.10.25)

Born:	1930.01.18 (Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1957.11.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1992.09.26
Died:	2014.06.06 († 84)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (1992.07.11 – 2005.10.25)

Bishop Miguel Angel Alemán Eslava, S.D.B.
(1975.04.05 – 1992.03.11)

Born:	1922.10.02 (Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1950.10.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1968.06.29
Died:	1992.03.11 († 69)

Titular Bishop of Puppi (1968.04.08 – 1975.04.05)

Apostolic Administrator of Viedma (Argentina) (1968.04.08 – 1975.04.05)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (1975.04.05 – 1992.03.11)

Bishop Mauricio Eugenio Magliano, S.D.B.
(1961.06.12 – 1974.05.31)

Born:	1920.01.22 (Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1948.09.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1961.09.10
Died:	1974.05.31 († 54)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina) (1961.06.12 – 1974.05.31)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Miguel Ángel D’Annibale (2011.02.19 – 2013.02.21)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nuestra Señora de Luján, Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina

Churches by City (33)

Punta Arenas (↙), Aysén (↖), Comodoro Rivadavia (↑), Falkland Islands (→)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 265,214 km²

Population: 240,000 Catholics (70.0% of 343,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 33 parishes, 40 missions

Personnel: 24 priests (16 diocesan, 8 religious), 15 deacons, 31 religious (8 brothers, 23 sisters), 2 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.03.06

© 2025 GCatholic.org