Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Salvador, El Salvador

Continent: Central America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: San Salvador (español) / Sancti Salvatoris in America (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Chalatenango, San Miguel, San Vicente, Santa Ana, Santiago de María, Sonsonate, Zacatecoluca

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1842.09.28: Established as Diocese of San Salvador (español) / Sancti Salvatoris in America (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Guatemala and became suffragan of Guatemala)
1913.02.11: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Salvador (español) / Sancti Salvatoris in America (Latin) (with suffragan sees San Miguel and Santa Ana and lost territory to establish Diocese of San Miguel and Diocese of Santa Ana)
1943.12.18: Lost territory to establish Diocese of San Vicente and gained suffragan see San Vicente
1954.12.02: Gained suffragan see Santiago de María
1986.05.31: Gained suffragan see Sonsonate
1987.05.05: Gained suffragan see Zacatecoluca
1987.12.30: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Chalatenango and gained suffragan see Chalatenango

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1983.03, 1996.02)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2008.12.27 – ...):	Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas (65) President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador
Auxiliary Bishop (2023.12.16 – ...):	Bishop Óscar Álvarez Orellana (62) Titular Bishop of Pudentiana

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of San Salvador (Roman Rite)

Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas (65)
(2008.12.27 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador)
President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador

Tomad y comed todos de el

Born:	1959.03.10 (San Salvador, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1982.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:	2002.03.23

Priest of San Vicente (El Salvador) (1982.08.15 – 2002.01.19)

Titular Bishop of Thibica (2002.01.19 – 2005.06.04)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Vicente (El Salvador) (2002.01.19 – 2005.06.04)

Bishop of San Vicente (El Salvador) (2005.06.04 – 2008.12.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (2008.12.27 – ...)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (2009.03 – ...)

President of Episcopal Secretariat of Central America and Panama (2016.11.26 – 2022.10.23)

Archbishop Fernando Sáenz Lacalle
(1995.04.22 – 2008.12.27)

Ipsa duce

Born:	1932.11.16 (Cintruénigo, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1959.08.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1985.01.06
Died:	2022.04.28 (La Libertad, El Salvador † 89)

Titular Bishop of Tabbora (1984.12.22 – 1995.04.22)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Ana (El Salvador) (1984.12.22 – 1995.04.22)

Apostolic Administrator of the Military Ordinariate of El Salvador (El Salvador) (1993.07.03 – 1997.06.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1995.04.22 – 2008.12.27)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1998 – 2008.12.27)

Archbishop Arturo Rivera Damas, S.D.B.
(1983.02.28 – 1994.11.26)

Ipsa auxiliante omnibus omnia fieri

Born:	1923.09.30
Ordained Priest:	1953.09.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1960.10.23
Died:	1994.11.26 († 71)

Titular Bishop of Legia (1960.07.30 – 1977.09.19)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1960.07.30 – 1977.09.19)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador) (1977.09.19 – 1983.02.28)

Apostolic Administrator of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1980 – 1983.02.28)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1983.02.28 – 1994.11.26)

President of Episcopal Secretariat of Central America and Panama (1984 – 1988)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1992 – 1994)

Bishop Arturo Rivera Damas, S.D.B. (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1980 – 1983.02.28)

Saint Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez
(1977.02.03 – 1980.03.24)

Sentire cum Ecclesia

Born:	1917.08.15 (Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1942.04.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.06.21
Died:	1980.03.24 🩸 (San Salvador, El Salvador † 62)
Beatified:	2015.05.23 (San Salvador, El Salvador)
Canonised:	2018.10.14

Titular Bishop of Tambeæ (1970.04.25 – 1974.10.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1970.04.25 – 1974.10.15)

General Secretary of Episcopal Secretariat of Central America and Panama (1971 – 1972)

Bishop of Santiago de María (El Salvador) (1974.10.15 – 1977.02.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1977.02.03 – 1980.03.24)

Archbishop. Martyr.

Archbishop Luis Chávez y González
(1938.09.01 – 1977.02.03)

Born:	1901.04.24 (El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1924.11.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1938.12.12
Died:	1987.03.27 († 85)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1938.09.01 – 1977.02.03)

Apostolic Administrator of San Vicente (El Salvador) (1944 – 1948.11.27)

President of Episcopal Conference of Central America (1958 – 1961)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1958 – 1967)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1975 – 1977)

Archbishop Alfonso Belloso y Sánchez
(1927.12.22 – 1938.08.09)

Born:	1873.10.30 (El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1897.12.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1920.05.30
Died:	1938.08.09 († 64)

Titular Bishop of Sozusa (1919.12.18 – 1927.12.22)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1919.12.18 – 1927.12.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1927.12.22 – 1938.08.09)

Archbishop Antonio Adolfo Pérez y Aguilar
(1913.02.11 – 1926.04.17)

Born:	1839.03.20 (El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1863.03.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1888.06.29
Died:	1926.04.17 († 87)

Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1888.01.13 – 1913.02.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1913.02.11 – 1926.04.17)

Bishops of San Salvador (Roman Rite)

Bishop Antonio Adolfo Pérez y Aguilar (later Archbishop)
(1888.01.13 – 1913.02.11)

(see above)

Bishop Luis Cárcamo y Rodríguez
(1872.08.06 – 1885.09.12)

Born:	1836.11.21 (El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1860.03.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1871.11.05
Died:	1885.09.12 († 48)

Titular Bishop of Arsinoë in Cypro (1871.11.06 – 1872.08.06)

Coadjutor Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1871.11.06 – 1872.08.06)

Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1872.08.06 – 1885.09.12)

Bishop Tomás Miguel Pineda y Saldaña
(1853.03.10 – 1872.08.06)

Born:	1791.12.29 (Guatemala)
Ordained Priest:	1819.09.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1849.02.25
Died:	1872.08.06 († 80)

Titular Bishop of Antigonea (1848.07.08 – 1853.03.10)

Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1853.03.10 – 1872.08.06)

Bishop Jorge de Viteri y Ungo
(1843.01.27 – 1846)

Born:	1801.04.23 (El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1826.02.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1843.02.10
Died:	1853.07.25 († 52)

Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1843.01.27 – 1846)

Bishop of León (Nicaragua) (1849.11.05 – 1853.07.25)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Luis Cárcamo y Rodríguez (1871.11.06 – 1872.08.06)
Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Mariano Ortiz y Urruela (1866.06.25 – 1873.06.06)
Auxiliary Bishop: Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez (82) (1982.02.17 – 2022.10.04)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Marco René Revelo Contreras (1978.01 – 1981.02.25)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (later Archbishop, Saint) (1970.04.25 – 1974.10.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop José Eduardo Alvarez Ramírez, C.M. (1965.10.07 – 1968.11.04)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Arturo Rivera Damas, S.D.B. (later Archbishop) (1960.07.30 – 1977.09.19)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Rafael Valladares y Argumedo (1956.08.18 – 1961.08.31)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Pedro Arnoldo Aparicio y Quintanilla, S.D.B. (1946.02.22 – 1948.11.27)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Alfonso Belloso y Sánchez (later Archbishop) (1919.12.18 – 1927.12.22)
Auxiliary Bishop: Archbishop Santiago Ricardo Vilanova y Meléndez (1913.08.01 – 1914.07.03)

Special Churches

Cathedral, Minor Basilica: Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Salvador, San Salvador, San Salvador
Former Cathedral: Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, San Salvador, San Salvador
Minor Basilica: Basílica de la Ceiba de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, San Salvador, San Salvador

Sonsonate (↙), Santa Ana (↖), Chalatenango (↑), San Vicente (↗), Zacatecoluca (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 3,296 km²

Population: 1,705,850 Catholics (55.0% of 3,103,450 total)

Pastoral Centres: 174 parishes

Personnel: 337 priests (205 diocesan, 132 religious), 1 deacon, 1,198 religious (237 brothers, 961 sisters), 77 seminarians