Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce (Latin: Dioecesis Poncensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and consists of the southern part of the island of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. The diocese is led by a prelate bishop who pastors the mother church in the City of Ponce, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Its current bishop is S.E.R. Mons. Rubén Antonio González Medina, C.M.F. Its jurisdiction includes the municipalities of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Guánica, Guayanilla, Yauco, Peñuelas, Ponce, Juana Díaz, Villalba, Coamo, Santa Isabel, Salinas, Guayama, Arroyo, and Patillas.[2]

Diocese of Ponce

Dioecesis Poncensis

Diócesis de Ponce
Coat of arms
Location
Country Puerto Rico
TerritorySouthern portion of Puerto Rico
Ecclesiastical provinceSan Juan de Puerto Rico
Statistics
Area2,045 km2 (790 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics (including non-members)		(as of 2004)
593,548
474,959[1] (80%)
Parishes42
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established21 November 1924 (96 years ago)
CathedralCatedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopRuben Antonio Gonzalez Medina
Bishops emeritusFélix Lázaro Martínez
Map
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe

History

In 1978, Bishop Fremiot Torres Oliver acquired a large property in the Rio Chiquito sector of Barrio Portugués where the Diocese is currently (2019) located.[3]

Spanish colonial system

Under the Spanish colonial system (1692–1898) the Diocese of Ponce operated and its bishop in 1877 was Juan Puig.[4] From 25 October 1892 to 1897, the bishop was Lorenzo Roura y Bayer.[5]

Other Padres Paules bishops at the Cathedral were:[6]

  • Lorenzo Roura y Bayer (25 October 1892 – 1897)
  • Leonardo G. Villanueva (1897–1898)
  • Sturnino Janices (1997–1898)
  • Francisco Vicario (1898–1905)
  • Luis Vega (1905–1911)
  • Cipariano Peña (1911–1919)
  • Florencio Garcia (1919–1927)
  • Manuel Peña (1927–1931)
  • Gonzalo de la Guerra (1931–1937)
  • Deogracias Morondo (1937–1940)
  • Toribio Marijuan (1940–1945)
  • Mariano Bravo (1945–1948)
  • Epifanio Garcia (1948–1957)
  • Jose Carrasco (1957)

From 1970 on, Padres Paules left Ponce and the Cathedral was then run by the Diocese of Ponce directly.[7]

American colonial system

The See of Ponce was canonically erected on 21 November 1924, and is a suffragan diocese of the Metropolitan Province of San Juan de Puerto Rico.[8]

Bishops of Ponce

The list of the bishops of Ponce and their terms of service. These are only the ecclesiastical bishops; emeritus bishops are not included here:[9]

  1. Edwin Byrne (1925–1929)
  2. Aloysius Joseph Willinger (1929–1946)
  3. James Edward McManus (1947–1963)
  4. Luis Aponte Martinez (1963–1964)
  5. Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver (1964–2000)
  6. Ricardo Antonio Suriñach Carreras (2000–2003)
  7. Félix Lázaro Martínez (2003–2015)
  8. Ruben Antonio Gonzalez Medina, C.M.F. (2015–present)

Coadjutor Bishops

  • Luis Aponte Martinez (1963–1963)
  • Félix Lázaro Martinez (2002–2003)

Auxiliary Bishops

  • Luis Aponte Martinez (1960–1963)
  • Ricardo Antonio Suriñach Carreras (1975–2000)

Parish churches

Parish church by founding date

  • 1616 1 Iglesia San Blas de Illescas, Coamo
  • 1692 2 Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Ponce
  • 1736 3 San Antonio de Padua, Guayama
  • 1756 4 Ntra. Sra. del Rosario, Yauco
  • 1793 5 San José, Peñuelas
  • 1798 6 Iglesia San Ramón Nonato, Juana Díaz
  • 1811 7 Inmaculado Corazón de María, Patillas
  • 1815 8 San Joaquín y Santa Ana, Adjuntas
  • 1840 9 Inmaculada Concepción, Guayanilla
  • 1854 10 Ntra. Sra. de Monserrate, Salinas
  • 1854 11 Santiago Apóstol, Santa Isabel
  • 1855 12 Ntra. Sra. del Carmen, Arroyo
  • 1883 13 Ntra. Sra. de Monserrate, Jayuya
  • 1883 14 Ntra. Sra. del Carmen, Playa (Ponce)
  • 1888 15 San Antonio Abad, Guánica
  • 1917 16 Ntra. Sra. del Carmen, Villalba
  • 1928 17 Ntra. Sra. de la Medalla Milagrosa, Ponce
  • 1928 18 Ntra. Sra. de la Merced, Ponce
  • 1930 19 Santa Teresita, Ponce
  • 1946 20 Sagrado Corazón, Aguirre
  • 1948 21 San Conrado, Ponce
  • 1952 22 Santa María Reina, Ponce
  • 1959 23 Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, Tallaboa (Peñuelas)
  • 1962 24 Ntra. Sra. de la Divina Providencia, Villalba
  • 1963 25 Sagrado Corazón, Ensenada (Guánica)
  • 1964 26 San Vicente de Paúl, Ponce
  • 1964 27 San Judas Tadeo, Ponce
  • 1964 28 Cristo Rey, Ponce
  • 1965 29 San José, Ponce
  • 1967 30 La Resurrección, Ponce
  • 1968 31 Buen Pastor, Ponce
  • 1969 32 San Martín de Porres, Yauco
  • 1969 33 Corazón de Jesús, Ponce
  • 1969 34 Ntra. Sra. de la Medalla Milagrosa, Castañer (Asjuntas)
  • 1971 35 Santísima Trinidad, Ponce
  • 1973 36 Ntra. Sra. del Carmen, Coto Laurel (Ponce)
  • 1979 37 San José Obrero, Ponce
  • 1984 38 Ntra. Sra. de Lourdes, Aguilita (Juana Díaz)
  • 1984 39 Santa Teresita, Arús (Juana Díaz)
  • 1986 40 Santísimo Sacramento, Ponce
  • 2001 41 Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Yauco
  • 2001 42 San Antonio de Padua, Coamo
  • 2005 43 Santos Apóstoles Pedro y Pablo, Guayama

See also

References
  1. Diocese of Ponce: Statistics. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  2. Diocesis de Ponce. Accessed 10 June 2018.
  3. Mariano Vidal Armstrong. Ponce, Notas Para Su Historia. p. 20
  4. Ramon Marin. La Villa de Ponce Considerada en tres distintas épocas: Estudio Histórico, Descriptivo, y Estadístico, hasta fines del año 1876. Ponce, PR: Establecimiento Tipográfico "El Vapor". 1877. (Section III of Ramon Marin's Las Fiestas Populares de Ponce. p.191. San Juan, PR: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. 1994.)
  5. Mariano Vidal Armstrong. Ponce: Notas para su Historia. San Juan, PR: Comite Historia de los Pueblos. Segunda Edición. 1986. p. 18.
  6. Mariano Vidal Armstrong. Ponce, Notas para Su Historia. 1986. pp. 18-19.
  7. Mariano Vidal Armstrong. Ponce, Notas para Su Historia. 1986. p. 19.
  8. Diocese of Ponce: General Information. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  9. Diocesis of Ponce Via: Directorio Diocesano > Episcopologio Ponceño > Diócesis de Ponce. Retrieved February 16, 2011.

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