Diocese of San Vicente, El Salvador 🇸🇻

Continent: Central America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: San Vicente (español) / Sancti Vincentii (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: San Salvador

Neighbouring Dioceses: San Salvador (←), Chalatenango (↖), Gracias (↑), Santiago de María (↘), Zacatecoluca (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Vicente de León (December 26)

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1943.12.18: Established as Diocese of San Vicente (español) / Sancti Vincentii (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Salvador and became suffragan of San Salvador)
1987.05.05: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Zacatecoluca

Contact Info

Address: Obispado, 2ª Avenida Norte 10, San Vicente, El Salvador

Phone: 2393-0004

Present Prelates

Bishop (2009.12.12 – ...):

Bishop José Elías Rauda Gutiérrez, O.F.M. (64)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador

Monsignors (3)

Ordinaries

Bishops of San Vicente (Roman Rite)

Bishop José Elías Rauda Gutiérrez, O.F.M. (64)
(2009.12.12 – ...)

Bishop of San Vicente (El Salvador)
Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador

Born:	1962.07.20 (Agua Caliente, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1989.04.01
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.04.19

Titular Bishop of Foratiana (2008.01.25 – 2009.12.12)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Ana (El Salvador) (2008.01.25 – 2009.12.12)

Bishop of San Vicente (El Salvador) (2009.12.12 – ...)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (2016? – 2020.03?)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (2025.01 – ...)

Bishop José Luis Escobar Alas (67) (later Archbishop)
(2005.06.04 – 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)

Bishop José Oscar Barahona Castillo
(1983.06.06 – 2005.06.04)

Born:	1938.11.29 (Mercedes La Ceiba, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1963.01.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1982.10.09
Died:	2016.10.22 († 77)

Priest of San Vicente (El Salvador) (1963.01.20 – 1982.07.16)

Chaplain of His Holiness (1972.01.12 – 1982.07.16)

Titular Bishop of Mibiarca (1982.07.16 – 1983.06.06)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Vicente (El Salvador) (1982.07.16 – 1983.06.06)

Bishop of San Vicente (El Salvador) (1983.06.06 – 2005.06.04)

Bishop Pedro Arnoldo Aparicio y Quintanilla, S.D.B.
(1948.11.27 – 1983.06.06)

Born:	1908.04.29 (Chinameca, El Salvador)
Ordained Priest:	1937.02.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1946.06.29
Died:	1992.09.07 († 84)

Titular Bishop of Æzani (1946.02.22 – 1948.11.27)

Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador (El Salvador) (1946.02.22 – 1948.11.27)

Bishop of San Vicente (El Salvador) (1948.11.27 – 1983.06.06)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1967 – 1970)

President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1977 – 1980)

Archbishop Luis Chávez y González
(Apostolic Administrator 1944 – 1948.11.27)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop José Luis Escobar Alas (67) (later Archbishop) (2002.01.19 – 2005.06.04)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop José Oscar Barahona Castillo (1982.07.16 – 1983.06.06)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de San Vicente Abad, San Vicente, San Vicente
Minor Basilica: Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, San Vicente, San Vicente

San Salvador (←), Chalatenango (↖), Gracias (↑), Santiago de María (↘), Zacatecoluca (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 2,056 km²

Population: 485,942 Catholics (90.9% of 534,642 total)

Pastoral Centres: 41 parishes

Personnel: 80 priests (diocesan), 198 religious (198 sisters), 24 seminarians