Diocese of

Ruy Barbosa

Brazil

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Ruy Barbosa / Ruiarbosen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Feira de Santana

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Santo António de Lisboa (June 13)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1959.11.14: Established as Diocese of Ruy Barbosa / Ruiarbosen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia, Diocese of Amargosa, Diocese of Barra, Diocese of Bonfim and Diocese of Caetité and became suffragan of São Salvador da Bahia)
1979.04.28: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Irecê
2002.01.16: Became suffragan of Feira de Santana

Present Prelates

Bishop (2020.04.15 – ...):

Bishop Estevam dos Santos Silva Filho (56)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Ruy Barbosa (Roman Rite)

Bishop Estevam dos Santos Silva Filho (56)
(2020.04.15 – ...)

Bishop of Ruy Barbosa (Brazil)

Ai de mim se eu não evangelizar

Born:	1968.04.10 (Vitória da Conquista, BA, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1995.06.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2014.03.30

Priest of Vitória da Conquista (Brazil) (1995.06.09 – 2014.01.29)

Titular Bishop of Feradi maius (2014.01.29 – 2020.04.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (2014.01.29 – 2020.04.15)

Bishop of Ruy Barbosa (Brazil) (2020.04.15 – ...)

Bishop André de Witte
(1994.06.08 – 2020.04.15)

Born:	1944.12.31 (Scheldewindeke, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1968.07.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1994.08.28
Died:	2021.04.25 (São Salvador, BA, Brazil † 76)

Bishop of Ruy Barbosa (Brazil) (1994.06.08 – 2020.04.15)

Bishop Mathias William Schmidt, O.S.B.
(1976.05.14 – 1992.05.24)

Born:	1931.04.21 (USA)
Ordained Priest:	1957.05.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1972.09.10
Died:	1992.05.24 († 61)

Titular Bishop of Mutugenna (1972.06.10 – 1976.05.14)

Auxiliary Bishop of Jataí (Brazil) (1972.06.10 – 1976.05.14)

Bishop of Ruy Barbosa (Brazil) (1976.05.14 – 1992.05.24)

Bishop José Adelino Dantas
(1967.02.20 – 1975.10.04)

In finem dilexit

Born:	1910.03.17 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1934.11.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1952.09.14
Died:	1983.03.24 († 73)

Bishop of Caicó (Brazil) (1952.06.10 – 1958.05.03)

Bishop of Garanhuns (Brazil) (1958.05.03 – 1967.02.20)

Bishop of Ruy Barbosa (Brazil) (1967.02.20 – 1975.10.04)

Bishop Epaminondas José de Araújo
(1959.12.14 – 1966.10.27)

Born:	1922.03.19 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1945.08.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1960.03.27
Died:	2010.06.09 († 88)

Bishop of Ruy Barbosa (Brazil) (1959.12.14 – 1966.10.27)

Bishop of Anápolis (Brazil) (1966.10.27 – 1978.06.05)

Bishop of Palmeira dos Índios (Brazil) (1978.06.05 – 1984.11.28)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Santo Antônio, Ruy Barbosa, Bahia
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (26)

Livramento de Nossa Senhora (↙), Irecê (↖), Bonfim (↑), Serrinha (→), Feira de Santana (→), Amargosa (↘), Jequié (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 25,898 km²

Population: 333,000 Catholics (73.1% of 455,720 total)

Pastoral Centres: 25 parishes

Personnel: 29 priests (22 diocesan, 7 religious), 3 deacons, 46 religious (19 brothers, 27 sisters), 9 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.02.20

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