Roman Catholic Diocese of Talca

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Talca, (in Latin: Dioecesis Talcensis), is a suffragan diocese of the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. Its current bishop is Mgr. Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca. The retired (emeritus) bishop is Mgr. Carlos González Cruchaga.

History

The diocese was established in Talca, Chile by Pope Pius XI on October 18, 1925 by means of the Bulla "Notabiliter Aucto".

Diocesan statistics

The diocese lies in the Maule Region of Chile and covers a territory of 17,000 km². It is comprised by the province of Curicó and by eight municipalities (comunas) of the province of Talca (the parishes of the municipalities of Empedrado and Constitución are jurisdictionally attached to the neighboring diocese of Linares, from an ecclesiastical point of view). The diocese is divided into 42 parishes, grouped in 5 pastoral zones. It is estimated that 78.9% of the diocesan population is Catholic ^[1]. This figure represents about 463,000 Catholics out of a total population of about 587,000 (2002). The diocesan cathedral is in the city of Talca.

Bishops

• Miguel León Prado (apostolic administrator) † (12 June 1913 - 18 October 1925 appointed, auxiliary bishop of Santiago de Chile)
• Carlos Silva Cotapos † (14 December 1925 - 21 January 1939 resigned)
• Manuel Larraín Errázuriz † (21 January 1939 succeeded - 22 June 1966 died)
• Carlos González Cruchaga (4 January 1967 - 12 December 1996 retired)
• Horacio del Carmen Valenzuela Abarca (appointed 12 December 1996 - )

List of parishes of the diocese of Talca

Pastoral zones and Parishes

Pastoral zones

Urban Talca

• El Sagrario (cathedral)
• Corazón de María
• Nuestra Señora de Fátima
• San Luis
• Santa Ana
• San Agustín
• San Sebastián
• Inmaculada Concepción
• Los Doce Apóstoles
• Santa Teresita
• La Merced
• Espíritu Santo
• Sagrada Familia
• San Alberto Hurtado

Rural Talca

• San José, Colín (Maule)
• Sagrado Corazón, Maule
• San José, Duao (Maule)
• San Rafael, San Rafael
• San José, Pelarco
• San Clemente, San Clemente
• Inmaculada Concepción, Pencahue
• Bajos de Lircay, San Clemente
• Santa Amalia, El Sauce (Talca)
• Sagrado Corazón, Gualleco (Curepto)

Urban Curicó

• La Merced
• San Juan Bautista
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario
• Cristo Resucitado
• Jesús Obrero
• Jesús de Nazareth
• Iglesia San Francisco
• San José
• Santa Fé

Rural Curicó

• San Juan de Dios, Teno
• Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Romeral
• San Pedro, Rauco
• San Bonifacio, Lontué
• Unidad Pastoral, Sarmiento (Curicó)
• Nuestra Señora del Tránsito, Molina
• Sagrada Familia, Sagrada Familia
• Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, Cordillerilla (Los Niches, Curicó)
• San Pedro y San Pablo, Comunidad de Casablanca (Lontué)
• Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Cumpeo (Río Claro)

Coastal Zone

• Inmaculada Concepción, Villa Prat (Sagrada Familia)
• Santísimo Sacramento, Hualañé
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Curepto
• San Miguel Arcángel, Licantén
• Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Vichuquén
• San Policarpo, La Huerta de Mataquito (Hualañé)
• Vice-Parish of Llico (Vichuquén)

 

External links

• Website of the diocese (in Spanish)
• Diocese of Talca at the www.catholic-hierarchy.org website

References

1. ^ Talca (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Coordinates: 35°26′16″S 71°40′19″W / 35.43778°S 71.67194°W / -35.43778; -71.67194