Diocese of Valença, Brazil

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Valença / Valentin(us) in Brasilia (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Sebastian (January 20)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1925.03.27: Established as Diocese of Valença / Valentin(us) in Brasilia (Latin) (from Diocese of Barra do Piraí and became suffragan of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro)
1960.03.26: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Nova Friburgo

Present Prelates

Bishop (2014.02.12 – ...):

Bishop Nelson Francelino Ferreira (59)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Valença (Roman Rite)

Bishop Nelson Francelino Ferreira (59)
(2014.02.12 – ...)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil)

Sentire cum ecclesia

Born:	1965.02.26 (Sapé, PB, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1990.08.04
Consecrated Bishop:	2011.02.05

Priest of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (1990.08.04 – 2010.11.24)

Titular Bishop of Álava (2010.11.24 – 2014.02.12)

Auxiliary Bishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (2010.11.24 – 2014.02.12)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (2014.02.12 – ...)

Bishop Elias James Manning, O.F.M. Conv.
(1990.03.14 – 2014.02.12)

Tu summum bonum es

Born:	1938.04.14 (Troy, NY, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1965.10.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1990.05.13
Died:	2019.10.13 (Vassouras, RJ, Brazil † 81)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (1990.03.14 – 2014.02.12)

Bishop Amaury Castanho
(1979.11.30 – 1989.05.03)

Fundamentum Christus Jesus

Born:	1927.09.19 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1951.10.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1976.10.07
Died:	2006.05.31 († 78)

Titular Bishop of Balecium (1976.07.19 – 1979.11.30)

Auxiliary Bishop of Sorocaba (Brazil) (1976.07.19 – 1979.11.30)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (1979.11.30 – 1989.05.03)

Coadjutor Bishop of Jundiaí (Brazil) (1989.05.03 – 1996.10.02)

Bishop of Jundiaí (Brazil) (1996.10.02 – 2004.01.07)

Bishop José Costa Campos
(1960.12.09 – 1979.03.26)

Born:	1918.08.23 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1941.03.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1961.02.24
Died:	1997.07.10 († 78)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (1960.12.09 – 1979.03.26)

Bishop of Divinópolis (Brazil) (1979.03.26 – 1989.02.27)

Bishop Rodolfo das Mercés de Oliveira Pena
(1942.01.03 – 1960.12.09)

Born:	1890.09.24 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1914.04.14
Consecrated Bishop:	1935.09.08
Died:	1975.01.24 († 84)

Bishop of Barra (Brazil) (1935.06.08 – 1942.01.03)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (1942.01.03 – 1960.12.09)

Titular Bishop of Apollonis (1962.02.10 – 1970.12.14)

Bishop René de Pontes
(1938.10.13 – 1940.04.02)

Born:	1902.07.28 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1928.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1938.11.30
Died:	1940.04.02 († 37)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (1938.10.13 – 1940.04.02)

Bishop André Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti
(1925.05.01 – 1936.08.08)

Sinite parvulos venire

Born:	1878.12.15 (Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1904.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1925.10.28
Died:	1955.06.20 († 76)

Bishop of Valença (Brazil) (1925.05.01 – 1936.08.08)

Bishop of Taubaté (Brazil) (1936.08.08 – 1941.11.08)

Titular Bishop of Limnæ (1941.11.08 – 1955.06.20)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nossa Senhora da Glória, Valença, Rio de Janeiro

Churches by City (25)

Barra do Piraí–Volta Redonda (↙), Juiz de Fora (↗), Petrópolis (→), Nova Iguaçu (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 3,996 km²

Population: 260,000 Catholics (64.0% of 406,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 28 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 30 priests (21 diocesan, 9 religious), 56 religious (14 brothers, 42 sisters), 12 seminarians