Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco, Bolivia

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: San Ignacio de Velasco / Chiquitosen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Peter and Saint Paul of Tarsus (June 29)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1930.01.27: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Chiquitos / Chiquitosen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra)
1951.12.13: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Ñuflo de Chávez
1994.11.03: Promoted as Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco / Chiquitosen(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Santa Cruz de la Sierra)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2016.11.04 – ...):	Bishop Robert Herman Flock Bever (68)
Auxiliary Bishop (2022.06.29 – ...):	Bishop Fernando Bascopé Müller, S.D.B. (62) Titular Bishop of Fidoloma

Ordinaries

Bishops of San Ignacio de Velasco (Roman Rite)

Bishop Robert Herman Flock Bever (68)
(2016.11.04 – ...)

Bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco (Bolivia)

Pastorea el rebaño

Born:	1956.11.04 (Sparta, WI, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1982.07.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2013.01.17

Priest of La Crosse (USA) (1982.07.09 – 2012.10.31)

Titular Bishop of Forlimpopoli (2012.10.31 – 2016.11.04)

Auxiliary Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (2012.10.31 – 2016.11.04)

Bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco (Bolivia) (2016.11.04 – ...)

Bishop Carlos Stetter (84)
(1995.07.29 – 2016.11.04)

Bishop emeritus of San Ignacio de Velasco (Bolivia)

Born:	1941.03.09 (Ellwangen-Jagst, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1966.07.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1988.02.28

Priest of Rottenburg–Stuttgart (Germany) (1966.07.01 – 1987.10.03)

Titular Bishop of Horrea (1987.10.03 – 1995.01.07)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco (Bolivia) (1987.10.03 – 1995.01.07)

Coadjutor Bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco (Bolivia) (1995.01.07 – 1995.07.29)

Bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco (Bolivia) (1995.07.29 – 2016.11.04)

Bishop Federico Bonifacio Madersbacher Gasteiger, O.F.M.
(1994.11.03 – 1995.07.29)

Born:	1919.01.08 (Austria)
Ordained Priest:	1947.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.08.30
Died:	2007.04.28 († 88)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos (Bolivia) (1970.04.09 – 1974.08.21)

Titular Bishop of Bulla (1970.04.09 – 1994.11.03)

Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos (Bolivia) (1974.08.21 – 1994.11.03)

Bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco (Bolivia) (1994.11.03 – 1995.07.29)

Vicars Apostolic of Chiquitos (Roman Rite)

Bishop Federico Bonifacio Madersbacher Gasteiger, O.F.M.
(1974.08.21 – 1994.11.03)

(see above)

Bishop José Calasanz Rosenhammer, O.F.M.
(1949.05.12 – 1974.08.21)

Urbi et orbi

Born:	1900.01.01 (Austria)
Ordained Priest:	1923.07.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.08.21
Died:	2003.04.26 († 103)

Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos (Bolivia) (1949.05.12 – 1974.08.21)

Titular Bishop of Ampora (1949.05.12 – 2003.04.26)

Apostolic Administrator of Ñuflo de Chávez (Bolivia) (1952 – 1953.11.16)

Bishop Juan Tarsicio Senner, O.F.M.
(1942.02.25 – 1949)

Born:	1895.08.03 (Austria)
Ordained Priest:	1919.11.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1942.06.29
Died:	1985.04.23 († 89)

Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos (Bolivia) (1942.02.25 – 1949)

Titular Bishop of Rusadus (1942.02.25 – 1951.10.26)

Auxiliary Bishop of Sucre (Bolivia) (1949 – 1951.10.26)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1951.10.26 – 1965.08.19)

Titular Bishop of Equizetum (1965.08.19 – 1976.01.23)

Bishop Bertoldo Bühl, O.F.M.
(1931.01.08 – 1941)

Born:	1885.10.04 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1909.06.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1931.03.01
Died:	1968.04.19 († 82)

Titular Bishop of Cartennæ (1931.01.03 – 1951.10.26)

Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos (Bolivia) (1931.01.08 – 1941)

Apostolic Administrator of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1943 – 1951.10.26)

Bishop of Oruro (Bolivia) (1951.10.26 – 1953.06.17)

Titular Bishop of Methone (1953.06.17 – 1968.04.19)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Carlos Stetter (84) (1995.01.07 – 1995.07.29)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Federico Bonifacio Madersbacher Gasteiger, O.F.M. (1970.04.09 – 1974.08.21)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Carlos Stetter (84) (1987.10.03 – 1995.01.07)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de San Ignacio, San Ignacio de Velasco, Santa Cruz
World Heritage Site: Iglesia San José, San José de Chiquitos, Santa Cruz
World Heritage Site: Iglesia San Miguel, San Miguel de Velasco, Santa Cruz
World Heritage Site: Iglesia San Rafael, San Rafael de Velasco, Santa Cruz
World Heritage Site: Iglesia Santa Ana, Santa Ana de Velasco, Santa Cruz

Camiri (↙), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (↙), Ñuflo de Chávez (←), El Beni (↖), Guajará-Mirim (↑), Juína (↗), São Luiz de Cáceres (→), Chaco Paraguayo (↘), Corumbá (↘)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 197,000 km²

Population: 253,000 Catholics (89.1% of 284,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 25 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 31 priests (19 diocesan, 12 religious), 65 religious (19 brothers, 46 sisters), 1 seminarian