Diocese of

Willemstad

Curaçao Curaçao, Aruba Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Sint Maarten Sint Maarten

Continents: South America, Central America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Willemstad / Gulielmopolitan(us) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Port of Spain

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

Papal Visits

Present Prelates

Bishop:vacant
Apostolic Administrator (2025.01.07 – ...):Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon (65)Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon (65)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)

President of Antilles Episcopal Conference

Ordinaries

Bishops of Willemstad (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon (65)Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon (65)
(Apostolic Administrator 2025.01.07 – ...)

Bishop Luis Antonio Secco, S.D.B. (77)Bishop Luis Antonio Secco, S.D.B. (77)
(2001.10.11 – 2025.01.07)

Bishop emeritus of Willemstad (Curaçao)

Veritatem facientes in caritate

Born:1947.06.08 (Piazzola sul Brenta, Italy)
Ordained Priest:1975.04.27
Consecrated Bishop:2000.10.28

Coadjutor Bishop of Willemstad (Curaçao) (2000.06.24 – 2001.10.11)

Bishop of Willemstad (Curaçao) (2001.10.11 – 2025.01.07)

Bishop Wilhelm Michel Ellis
(1973.08.07 – 2001.10.11)

Born:1926.10.10 (Curaçao)
Ordained Priest:1953.10.24
Consecrated Bishop:1973.11.25
Died:2003.09.24 († 76)

Bishop of Willemstad (Curaçao) (1973.08.07 – 2001.10.11)

Bishop Joannes Maria Michael Holterman, O.P.
(1958.04.28 – 1973.08.07)

Multi unum corpus

Born:1906.11.01 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1931.07.15
Consecrated Bishop:1957.02.25
Died:1988.10.22 († 81)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1956.12.09 – 1958.04.28)

Titular Bishop of Vagada (1956.12.09 – 1958.06.14)

Bishop of Willemstad (Curaçao) (1958.04.28 – 1973.08.07)

Vicars Apostolic of Curaçao (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joannes Maria Michael Holterman, O.P.
(1956.12.09 – 1958.04.28)

(see above)

Bishop Lewis Jacob Thielen Van der Veen Zeppenfeldt, O.P.
(1948.11.11 – 1956.12.09)

Veritas justitia caritas

Born:1891.10.11 (Aruba)
Ordained Priest:1918.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:1948.12.30
Died:1957.07.04 († 65)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1948.11.11 – 1956.12.09)

Titular Bishop of Acholla (1948.11.11 – 1957.07.04)

Bishop Pietro Giovanni Umberto Verriet, O.P.
(1931.11.13 – 1948.03.10)

Pax justitiæ et honor pietatis

Born:1880.11.04 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1905.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:1932.01.06
Died:1948.03.10 († 67)

Titular Bishop of Eleutherna (1931.11.13 – 1948.03.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1931.11.13 – 1948.03.10)

Bishop Michael Antonio Maria Vuylsteke, O.P.
(1910.06.10 – 1930.08.04)

In pace et æquitate

Born:1869.07.31 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1895.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:1910.09.29
Died:1930.08.04 († 61)

Titular Bishop of Charadrus (1910.06.10 – 1930.08.04)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1910.06.10 – 1930.08.04)

Bishop Ambrosius Jacobus J. van Baars, O.P.
(1897.02.15 – 1910.03.25)

Crux virtus mea

Born:1854.04.06 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1879.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:1897.05.23
Died:1910.03.25 († 55)

Titular Bishop of Theuchira (1897.02.15 – 1910.03.25)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1897.02.15 – 1910.03.25)

Bishop Alphonsus M. Henricus Joosten, O.P.
(1887.10.04 – 1896.12.18)

In vinculo pacis

Born:1837.12.01 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1863.08.10
Consecrated Bishop:1887.12.08
Died:1896.12.18 († 59)

Titular Bishop of Marciana (1887.10.04 – 1896.12.18)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1887.10.04 – 1896.12.18)

Bishop Ceslaus Henricus Jacobus Reijnen, O.P.
(1886.08.24 – 1887.05.10)

In nomine Domini

Born:1836.11.29 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:1863.08.10
Consecrated Bishop:1886.12.12
Died:1887.05.10 († 50)

Titular Bishop of Assuras (1886.08.24 – 1887.05.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1886.08.24 – 1887.05.10)

Bishop Petrus Hendricus Josephus van Ewijk, O.P.
(1869.06.05 – 1886.05.17)

In nomine tuo laxabo rete

Born:1827.06.17 (Netherlands)
Consecrated Bishop:1869.07.26
Died:1886.05.17 († 58)

Titular Bishop of Camachus (1869.06.05 – 1886.05.17)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1869.06.05 – 1886.05.17)

Bishop Johannes Fredericus Antonius Kistemaker
(1860.01.12 – 1866)

Non sicut ego volo sed sicut tu

Born:1813.08.22 (Netherlands)
Consecrated Bishop:1860.08.28
Died:1883.11.25 († 70)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1852.09.14 – 1860.01.12)

Titular Bishop of Verinopolis (1852.09.14 – 1883.11.25)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1860.01.12 – 1866)

Bishop Martinus Johannes Niewindt
(1842.09.20 – 1860.01.12)

Non recuso laborem

Born:1796.05.17 (Netherlands)
Consecrated Bishop:1843.08.24
Died:1860.01.12 († 63)

Prefect Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1823 – 1842.09.20)

Titular Bishop of Chytris (1842.09.20 – 1860.01.12)

Vicar Apostolic of Curaçao (Curaçao) (1842.09.20 – 1860.01.12)

Prefects Apostolic of Curaçao (Roman Rite)

Fr. Martinus Johannes Niewindt (later Bishop)
(1823 – 1842.09.20)

(see above)

Former Prelates

Special Churches

Churches by City (48)

Punto Fijo (↙), Coro (↓)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 993 km²

Population: 247,320 Catholics (62.9% of 392,900 total)

Pastoral Centres: 38 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 52 priests (46 diocesan, 6 religious), 8 deacons, 35 religious (7 brothers, 28 sisters), 12 seminarians

Population

Pastoral Centres

Priests

Deacons

Religious

Seminarians

Last updated on 2025.01.09

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