Diocese of

Villarrica

Paraguay

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Villarrica (español) / Villarrica del Espíritu Santo (español) / Villaricen(sis) Spiritus Sancti (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Asunción

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1929.05.01: Established as Diocese of Villarrica / Villaricen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Paraguay and became suffragan of Asunción)
1957.01.19: Lost territory to establish Diocese of San Juan Bautista
1957.01.21: Lost territory to establish Territorial Prelature of Encarnación y Alto Paraná
1978.06.05: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Carapeguá
1990.01.13: Renamed as Diocese of Villarrica (español) / Villarrica del Espíritu Santo (español) / Villaricen(sis) Spiritus Sancti (Latin)
2025.03.22: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Caazapá

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1988.05)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2024.12.05 – ...):

Bishop Miguel Ángel Cabello Almada (60)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Villarrica (Roman Rite)

Bishop Miguel Ángel Cabello Almada (60)
(2024.12.05 – ...)

Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay)

Amor en la verdad

Born:	1965.09.04 (Piribebuy, Paraguay)
Ordained Priest:	1991.09.15
Consecrated Bishop:	2013.09.15

Priest of Caacupé (Paraguay) (1991.09.15 – 2013.07.11)

Bishop of Concepción (Paraguay) (2013.07.11 – 2024.12.05)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2024.11.06 – 2024.12.05)

Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (2024.12.05 – ...)

Bishop Adalberto Martínez Flores (74) (later Cardinal)
(2018.06.23 – 2022.02.17)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Giovanni a Porta Latina
Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay)
Apostolic Administrator of the Military Ordinariate of Paraguay (Paraguay)

Que todos sean uno

Born:	1951.07.08 (Asunción, Paraguay)
Ordained Priest:	1985.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.11.08
Created Cardinal:	2022.08.27

Priest of Saint Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands) (1985.08.24 – 1994)

Priest of Asunción (Paraguay) (1994 – 1997.08.14)

Titular Bishop of Tatilti (1997.08.14 – 2000.05.18)

Auxiliary Bishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (1997.08.14 – 2000.05.18)

Bishop of San Lorenzo (Paraguay) (2000.05.18 – 2007.02.19)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2005 – 2011)

Bishop of San Pedro (Paraguay) (2007.02.19 – 2012.03.14)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2011.11 – 2015.11.03)

Military Ordinary of Paraguay (Paraguay) (2012.03.14 – 2018.06.23)

Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (2018.06.23 – 2022.02.17)

Apostolic Administrator of the Military Ordinariate of Paraguay (Paraguay) (2018.06.23 – ...)

President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2018.11.09 – 2024.11.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (2022.02.17 – ...)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Giovanni a Porta Latina (2022.08.27 [2022.12.07] – ...)

Bishop Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Ríos (70)
(2010.06.25 – 2017.06.29)

Bishop of Caacupé (Paraguay)

Mi vivir es Cristo

Born:	1954.12.13 (Asunción, Paraguay)
Ordained Priest:	1982.12.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1994.01.06

Priest of Asunción (Paraguay) (1982.12.12 – 1993.11.27)

Titular Bishop of Casæ Calanæ (1993.11.27 – 2003.05.24)

Auxiliary Bishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (1993.11.27 – 2003.05.24)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2002 – 2005)

Military Ordinary of Paraguay (Paraguay) (2003.05.24 – 2010.06.25)

Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (2010.06.25 – 2017.06.29)

Apostolic Administrator of Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) (2014.09.25 – 2014.11.15)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (2015.11.03 – 2018.11.09)

Bishop of Caacupé (Paraguay) (2017.06.29 – ...)

Bishop Sebelio Peralta Álvarez
(1990.04.19 – 2008.12.27)

Che jokua’i nandejara

Born:	1939.09.19 (Borja, Paraguay)
Ordained Priest:	1964.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1979.05.01
Died:	2014.11.19 († 75)

Titular Bishop of Iunca in Mauretania (1979.03.05 – 1990.04.19)

Auxiliary Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (1979.03.05 – 1990.04.19)

Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (1990.04.19 – 2008.12.27)

Bishop of San Lorenzo (Paraguay) (2008.12.27 – 2014.11.19)

Bishop Felipe Santiago Benítez Ávalos (later Archbishop)
(1965.12.04 – 1989.05.20)

Anunciare tu nombre a mis hermanos

Born:	1926.05.01 (Paraguay)
Ordained Priest:	1952.06.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1961.09.24
Died:	2009.03.19 († 82)

Titular Bishop of Chersonesus in Europa (1961.08.10 – 1965.12.04)

Auxiliary Bishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (1961.08.10 – 1965.12.04)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1965 – 1969)

Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (1965.12.04 – 1989.05.20)

President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1973 – 1985)

First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (1983 – 1987)

President of Episcopal Conference of Paraguay (1989 – 1990)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay) (1989.05.20 – 2002.06.15)

Bishop Agustín Rodríguez
(1931.10.19 – 1965.12.04)

Born:	1900.05.05 (Paraguay)
Ordained Priest:	1925.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1932.05.15
Died:	1968.12.25 († 68)

Bishop of Villarrica (Paraguay) (1931.10.19 – 1965.12.04)

Titular Bishop of Castellum Tingitii (1965.12.07 – 1968.12.25)

Military Vicar of Paraguay (Paraguay) (1965.12.07 – 1968.12.25)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Sebelio Peralta Álvarez (1979.03.05 – 1990.04.19)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Angel Nicolás Acha Duarte (1975.12.22 – 1978.06.05)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Espíritu Santo, Villarrica, Guairá
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (23)

Carapeguá (←), Coronel Oviedo (↑), Caazapá (↓)

Statistics (2025)

Area: 3,946 km²

Population: 198,360 Catholics (88.0% of 225,410 total)

Pastoral Centres: 25 parishes

Personnel: 42 priests (35 diocesan, 7 religious), 43 deacons, 53 religious (53 sisters), 12 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.11.08

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