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

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

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 (59)
Auxiliary Bishop (2022.05.21 – ...):	Bishop Fabián González Balsa (57) Titular Bishop of Masclianæ

Ordinaries

Bishops of Río Gallegos (Roman Rite)

Bishop Ignacio Damián Medina (59)
(2023.08.11 – ...)

Bishop of Río Gallegos (Argentina)

La Caridad de Cristo nos apremia

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 (57) (later Archbishop)
(2019.01.03 – 2023.05.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Ordinary of Argentina of the Eastern Rite (Argentina)
Apostolic Administrator of San Gregorio de Narek en Buenos Aires of the Armenians (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 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of San Gregorio de Narek en Buenos Aires of the Armenians (Argentina) (2026.03.02 – ...)

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. (71)
(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)

La Caridad de Cristo nos apremia

Born:	1930.01.18 (Ferré, 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 (Buenos Aires, 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 (San Isidro, 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 2026.03.30

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