Bishop Salama Died

Bishop Andraos Salama, Bishop of Guizeh, Egypt (Coptic), has died. He had served as a bishop for 17 years and a priest for 49 years. May he rest in peace.

Arnold named Westminster Auxiliary

Bishop-elect John Arnold was named Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, England, Great Britain and titular bishop of Lindisfarna. He had been serving as a priest of the same archdiocese.

Bishop Di Salvo Died

Bishop Salvatore Di Salvo, Bishop Emeritus of Nicosia, Italy, has died. He served as a bishop for 37 years and as a priest for 60 years. May he rest in peace.

Bishop Bardonne Died

Bishop Lucien-Emile Bardonne, Bishop Emeritus of Châlons, France, has died. He had served as a bishop for 36 years and as a priest for 54 years. May he rest in peace.

Hernández Ruiz named San Cristobal de la Habana Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Juan de Dios Hernández Ruiz, S.J. was named Auxiliary Bishop of San Cristobal de la Habana, Cuba and titular bishop of Cures Sabinorum.

Itonaga retired, Koriyama named Kagoshima Bishop

Bishop Paul Shinichi Itonaga retired and Bishop-elect Paul Kenjiro Koriyama was named Bishop of Kagoshima, Japan. Bishop Itonaga has been serving as the bishop for 36 years and as a priest for 53 years. Bishop-elect Koriyama had been serving as a priest of the same diocese.

Quirós Quirós named Limón Bishop

Bishop-elect José Rafael Quirós Quirós was named Bishop of Limón, Costa Rica. The diocese had been vacant since Bishop José Francisco Ulloa Rojas was named Bishop of Cartago in May. Bishop-elect Quirós Quirós had been serving as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of San José de Costa Rica.

Archbishop D'Addario Died

Archbishop Vincenzo D'Addario, Bishop of Teramo-Atri, Italy, has died. He had served as a bishop for 19 years and as a priest for 39 years. May he rest in peace.

dos Santos resigned, da Rocha Felício succeeded as Guarda Bishop

Bishop António dos Santos resigned and Bishop Manuel da Rocha Felício succeeded him as Bishop of Guarda, Portugal. Bishop dos Santos has been serving as a bishop for 30 years and as a priest for 49 years. Bishop da Rocha Feleicio had been serving as Coadjutor of the same diocese.

Rassas named Chicago Auxiliary

Bishop-elect George J. Rassas was named Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, IL, USA and titular bishop of Reperi. He had been serving as a priest of the same archdiocese.

Gonçalves Pereira named Coari Coadjutor

Bishop-elect Joércio Gonçalves Pereira, C.SS.R. was named Coadjutor Prelate of Coari. Bishop Gutemberg Freire Régis, C.SS.R. remains the ordinary of the territorial prelature.

Nguyen Van De named Bùi Chu Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Pierre Nguyen Van De, S.D.B. was named Auxiliary Bishop of Bùi Chu, Viêt Nam and titular bishop of Ammaedara. Bishop Joseph Hoàng Van Tiem, S.D.B. remains the ordinary of the diocese.

Trelle named Hildesheim Bishop

Bishop Norbert Trelle was named Bishop of Hildesheim, Germany. The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Josef Homeyer retired in August, 2004. Bishop Trelle had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Köln {Cologne}.

Ramaroson named Farafangana Bishop

Bishop-elect Benjamin Marc Ramaroson, C.M. was named Bishop of Farafangana, Madagascar. The diocese had been vacant since the death of Bishop Charles-Remy Rakotonirina, S.J. in August.

Oliver Domingo retired, Palmero Ramos named Orihuela-Alicante Bishop

Bishop Victorio Oliver Domingo retired and Bishop Rafael Palmero Ramos was named Bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, Spain. Bishop Oliver Domingo has been serving as a bishop for 33 years and as a priest for 51 years. Bishop Palmero Ramos has been serving as Bishop of Palencia for the last 9 years.

Echarren Istúriz retired, Cases Andreu named Canary Islands Bishop

Bishop Ramón Echarren Istúriz retired and Bishop Francisco Cases Andreu was named Bishop of Islas Canarias {Canary Islands}, Spain. Bishop Echarren Istúriz has been serving as a bishop for 36 years and as a priest for 47 years. Bishop Cases Andreu has been serving as Bishop of Albacete for the last 9 years.

Cauchi retired, Grech named Gozo Bishop

Bishop Nikol Joseph Cauchi retired and Bishop-elect Mario Grech was named Bishop of Gozo, Malta. Bishop Cauchi has been serving as a bishop for 38 years and as a priest for 53 years. Bishop-elect Grech has been serving as a priest of the same diocese.

Bishop McLoughlin Died

Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Emeritus of Galway and Kilmacduagh, Ireland, has died. He had served as a priest for 51 years and as a bishop for 12 years before retiring in May of this year. May he rest in peace.

Bishop Hertzog Died

Bishop Jean-Claude Hertzog, Auxiliary Bishop of Bordeaux (-Bazas), France, has died. He had served as a bishop for 3 years and as a priest for 43 years. May he rest in peace.

Palmieri named Rrëshen Bishop

Bishop-elect Cristoforo Palmieri, C.M. was named Bishop of Rrëshen, Albania. He has been serving as Apostolic Administrator of the same diocese.

Vitale named Lezhë {Lesh} Bishop

Bishop-elect Ottavio Vitale, R.C.J. was named Bishop of Lezhë {Lesh}, Albania. He has been serving as Apostolic Administrator of the same diocese.

Gjergji named Sapë Bishop

Bishop-elect Dodë Gjergji was named Bishop of Sapë, Albania. He has been serving as Apostolic Administrator of the same diocese.

Bishop Paschoal Died

Bishop Hélio Paschoal, C.S.S., Bishop Emeritus of Livramento de Nossa Senhora, Brazil, has died. He had served as a bishop for 38 years and a priest for 54 years. May he rest in peace.

Ba Ria Erected; Nguyên Van Trâm named Bishop

The Diocese of Ba Ria, Viêt Nam was erected with territory taken from the Diocese of Xuân Lôc. Bishop Thomas Nguyên Van Trâm was named its first Bishop. He had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Xuân Lôc.

Statistics from Annuario Pontificio 2005

After many delays, I've finally completed the data entry of statistical information from the Annuario Pontificio 2005. The data will appear on the individual diocese pages as those are updated (I hope to refresh them all in the next week or so). The summary statistics are now updated.

The usual warning on summary statistics always applies. All summary statistics (anything above the level of a single diocese) have many known problems. If more accurate statistics are required, I highly recommend the Statistical Yearbook published annually by the Vatican.

D’Errico named Bosnia-Herzegovina Nuncio

Archbishop Alessandro D’Errico was named Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia-Herzegovina. He had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan.

Le Vert named Meaux Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Jean-Marie Le Vert was named Auxiliary Bishop of Meaux, France and titular bishop of Simidicca. He had been serving as a priest of the Archdiocese of Tours.

Bishop Cuara Méndez Died

Bishop Luis Gabriel Cuara Méndez, Bishop of Veracruz, Mexico, has died. He had as a bishop for 16 years and as a priest for 43 years. May he rest in peace.

Bishop Bududira Died

Bishop Bernard Bududira, Bishop of Bururi, Burundi, has died. He had served in that role for 32 years and as a priest for 42 years. May he rest in peace.

Zavala Castro named Chilpancingo-Chilapa Bishop

Bishop Alejo Zavala Castro was named Bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, Guerrero, México. The diocese had been vacant since the death of Bishop Efrén Ramos Salazar in February. Bishop Zavala Castro had been serving as Bishop of Tlapa.

Goretti retired, Sorrentino named Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino Bishop

Bishop Sergio Goretti retired and Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino was named Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino, Italy. Bishop Goretti had been serving as bishop for 25 years and as a priest for 52 years. Archbishop Sorrentino had been serving as the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He retains the title Archbishop as a personal title.

Bishop Chimole Died

Bishop Matthias A. Chimole, Bishop Emeritus of Lilongwe, Malawi, has died. He had served as a bishop for 35 years and as a priest for 58 years. May he rest in peace.

Archbishop Verolino Died

Archbishop Gennaro Verolino, titular archbishop of Corinthus, has died. He had served as an Apostolic Nuncio and in a variety of roles within the Roman Curia. He served as a bishop for 54 years and as a priest for 77 years. May he rest in peace.

Sigampa named Resistencia Archbishop

Archbishop-designate Fabriciano Sigampa was named Archbishop of Resistencia, Argentina. The Archdiocese had been vacant since Archbishop Carmelo Juan Giaquinta resigned in April. Archbishop-designate Sigampa had been serving as bishop of La Rioja.

Bishop Garmendia Ayestarán Died

Bishop Francisco Garmendia Ayestarán, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of New York, New York, USA, has died. He had served as a bishop for 28 years and a priest for 58 years. He had just turned 81 less than two weeks ago. May he rest in peace.

Antonini named Paraguay Nuncio

Archbishop Orlando Antonini was been named Apostolic Nuncio to Paraguay. The post had been vacant since Archbishop Antonio Lucibello was named Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey in August. Archbishop Antonini had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi and Zambia.

Beloto named Formosa Bishop

Bishop-elect Paulo Roberto Beloto was named Bishop of Formosa, Goias, Brazil. The diocese had been vacant since Bishop João Casimiro Wilk, O.F.M. Conv. was named Bishop of Anápolis in June 2004. Bishop-elect Beloto had been serving as a priest of Marília.

Jamnik named Ljubljana Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Anton Jamnik was named Auxiliary Bishop of Ljubljana, Slovenia and titular bishop of Vina. He had been serving as a priest of the same archdiocese.

González González named Guadalajara Auxiliary

Bishop-elect José Leopoldo González González was named Auxiliary Bishop of Guadalajara, Mexico and titular bishop of Thuburnica. He had been serving as a priest of the same archdiocese.

Archbishop Ávila Died

Archbishop Geraldo do Espírito Santo Ávila, Archbishop of Brazil, Military, has died. He had served as a bishop for 28 years and as a priest for just under 52 years. May he rest in peace.

Capuzzi retired, Merisi named Lodi Bishop

Bishop Giacomo Capuzzi retired and Bishop Giuseppe Merisi was named Bishop of Lodi, Italy. Bishop Capuzzi had been serving in that role for 16 years. Bishop Merisi had been serving as auxiliary bishop of Milano {Milan}.

Peña Gómez retired, Aranguren Echeverría named Holguín Bishop

Bishop Héctos Luis Lucas Peña Gómez retired and Bishop Emilio Aranguren Echeverría was named Bishop of Holguín, Cuba. Bishop Peña Gómez had been serving as a bishop for 35 years. Bishop Aranguren Echeverría had been serving as Bishop of Cienfuegos for 10 years.

Bishop Prévost Godard Died

Bishop José Rolando Gustavo Prévost Godard, P.M.E., Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Pucallpa, Peru, has died. He had served as a bishop for 49 years and as a priest for 67 years. May he rest in peace.

Zarri retired, Pizzi named Forlì-Bertinoro Bishop

Bishop Vincenzo Zarri retired and Bishop-elect Lino Pizzi was named Bishop of Forlì-Bertinoro, Italy. Bishop Zarri has been serving as a bishop for 29 years and as a priest for 53 years. Bishop-elect Pizzi has been serving as a priest of the archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola.

García de la Rasilla Domínguez named Jaén en Peru o San Francisco Javier Vicar Apostolic

Bishop-elect Santiago María García de la Rasilla Domínguez, S.J. was named Vicar Apostolic of Jaén en Peru o San Francisco Javier and titular bishop of Voncaria. The vicariate had been without an ordinary since Bishop Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno, S.J. was named Archbishop of Huancayo in July, 2004.

Olorunmolu named Lokoja Bishop

Bishop-elect Martin Dada Abejide Olorunmolu was named Bishop of Lokoja, Nigeria. Bishop-elect Olorunmolu had been serving as a priest of the same diocese. The diocese had been vacant since the death of Bishop Joseph Sunday Ajomo in June 2004.

Nickless named Sioux City Bishop

Bishop-elect Ralph Walker Nickless named Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, USA. The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Daniel Nicholas DiNardo was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Texas in January, 2004.

Bishop McGill died

Bishop Stephen McGill, P.S.S., Bishop Emeritus of Paisley, Scotland, Great Britain, has died. He had served as a bishop for 45 years and as a priest for 69 years. May he rest in peace.

Angell retired, Matano succeeded as Burlington Bishop

Bishop Kenneth Anthony Angell retired and Bishop Salvatore Ronald Matano succeeded him as Bishop of Burlington, Vermont, USA. Bishop Angell has been serving as a bishop for 31 years and as a priest for 49 years. Bishop Matano had been serving as Coadjutor Bishop of the same diocese.

Vo Duc Minh named Nha Trang Coadjutor

Bishop-elect Joseph Vo Duc Minh was named Coadjutor Bishop of Nha Trang, Viêt Nam. He had been serving as a priest in the diocese of Ðà Lat. Bishop Paul Nguyên Van Hòa remains the ordinary of Nha Trang.

García Bernal retired, Mancilla Sánchez named Ciudad Obregón Bishop

Bishop Vicente García Bernal retired and Bishop Juan Manuel Mancilla Sánchez was named Bishop of Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, México. Bishop García Bernal had been serving in that role for 17 years. Bishop Mancilla Sánchez had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Texcoco since 2001.

Bishop Infantes Florido has died

Bishop José Antonio Infantes Florido, Bishop Emeritus of Córdoba, Spain, has died. He had served as a bishop for 38 years and as a priest for 54 years. He retired as Bishop of Córdoba in 1996. May he rest in peace.

Cuccarese retired, Valentinetti named Pescara-Penne Archbishop

Archbishop Francesco Cuccarese retired and Archbishop-designate Tommaso Valentinetti was named Archbishop of Pescara-Penne, Italy. Archbishop Cuccarese had been serving as a bishop for 26 years. Archbishop-designate Valentinetti had been serving as Bishop of Termoli-Larino for 5 years.

Vallée retired as Hearst Bishop

Bishop André Vallée, P.M.E. retired as Bishop of Hearst, Ontario, Canada. He has been serving as a bishop for 18 years and as a priest for 49 years.

Bishop Sahagún López Died

Bishop Antonio Sahagún López, Bishop Emeritus of Linares and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Guadalajara, México, has died. He served as a bishop for 39 years and a priest for 62 years. May he rest in peace.

Gatineau-Hull becomes Gatineau

The Archdiocese of Gatineau-Hull has changed its name to the Archdiocese of Gatineau. The boundaries and ordinary have not changed. The archdiocese is in the province of Québec, Canada.

Valero retired as Brooklyn Auxiliary

Bishop René Arnold Valero retired as Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn, NY, USA. He had served in that role for 25 years.

Bishop Tommasiello Died

Bishop Francesco Tommasiello, Bishop of Teano-Calvi, Italy, has died. He had been serving in that role for 16 years and a priest for 46 years.

Research Road Trip

Howdy,

Just wanted to let ya'll know that I'll be on the road through Thursday. I'll be doing research related to the website at Conception Abbey's library. Unfortunately I won't be able to update the main website until I return.

I should also note that generally items are posted on this blog before the updates to the main website are ready (but only after the changes are officially announced). So for the first hour or two, the links to new bishops might not work and the info on the main site might be out of date.

Peace,
David

Buccolini retired, Romanin named Río Gallegos Bishop

Bishop Alejandro Antonio Buccolini, S.D.B. retired and Bishop-elect Juan Carlos Romanin, S.D.B. was named Bishop of Río Gallegos, Argentina. Bishop Buccolini had been serving as bishop for 13 years.

McGough named Birmingham Auxiliary

Bishop-elect David Christopher McGough was named Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham, England and titular bishop of Chunavia. He had been serving as a priest of the same archdiocese.

Ruiseco Vieira resigned, Jiménez Carvajal Succeeded as Cartagena Archbishop

Archbishop Carlos José Ruiseco Vieira resigned and Archbishop Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal, C.I.C.M. succeeded him as Archbishop of Cartagena, Colombia. Archbishop Ruiseco Vieira had been serving in that role for 22 years. Archbishop Jiménez Carvajal had been serving as Coadjutor of the same archdiocese.

Nourrichard named Evreux Coadjutor

Bishop-elect Christian Nourrichard was named Coadjutor Bishop of Evreux, France. Bishop Jacques Louis Antoine Marie David remains the ordinary of the diocese. Bishop-elect Nourrichard had been serving as Vicar General of the archdiocese of Rouen.

Bakouny confirmed as Tyr (Melkite) Archbishop

Archbishop-elect Georges Bakouny was confirmed as Archbishop of Tyr (Melkite), Lebanon.

Ortiz Mondragón named Cuautitlán Bishop

Bishop Guillermo Rodrigo Teodoro Ortiz Mondragón was named Bishop of Cuautitlán, México. The diocese had been vacant since the death of Bishop Manuel Samaniego Barriga in June. Bishop Ortiz Mondragón had been serving as an Auxiliary Bishop of México.

Mayugba named Lingayen-Dagupan Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Renato Pine Mayugba was named Auxiliary Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Philippines and titular bishop of Centuriones. He had been serving as a priest of the same archdiocese.

Santucci retired, Scotti named Trivento Bishop

Bishop Antonio Santucci retired and Bishop-elect Domenico Angelo Scotti was named Bishop of Trivento, Italy. Bishop Santucci had been serving as Bishop for 20 years. Bishop-elect Scotti had been serving as vicar general of the archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto.

Technology Test - Footer to Menu

I've been experimenting with a way to replace the old page footer on the main website pages with a new menu scheme. The purpose is simple: to make navigation easier, especially for the first time or infrequent visitor.

I've got a test page ready and I would really appreciate any feedback ya'll might have. The easiest way to send feedback is through the form on the main website. (Be sure to include the OS and browser you are using to help me track down the bugs :-)

Thanks!

Fürer retired as Sankt Gallen Bishop

Bishop Ivo Fürer retired as Bishop of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland. He had served in that office since 1995.

Cardinal Caprio Died

Giuseppe Cardinal Caprio, Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Vittoria, has died. He had been serving as a priest for 66 years, a bishop for 44 years, and a cardinal for 26 years. May he rest in peace.

Urcey named Chota Prelate

Bishop-elect Fortunato Pablo Urcey, O.A.R. was named Prelate of Chota, Peru. The territorial prelature had been vacant since Bishop José Carmelo Martínez Lázaro, O.A.R. was named Bishop of Cajamarca just over a year ago.

Solórzano Pérez named Matagalpa Bishop

Bishop Jorge Solórzano Pérez was named Bishop of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The diocese had been vacant since Leopoldo José Brenes Solórzano was named Archbishop of Managua in April. Bishop Solórzano Pérez had been serving as an Auxiliary Bishop of Managua since 2000.

Ramírez Sánchez retired, Morales Sánchez named Huautla Prelate

Bishop Hermenegildo Ramírez Sánchez, M.J. retired and Bishop-elect Héctor Luis Morales Sánchez was named Prelate of Huautla, Mexico. Bishop Ramírez Sánchez had been serving as Prelate since 1975. Bishop-elect Morales Sánchez had been serving as a priest in the diocese of Ciudad Valles.

Bishop Wycislo Died

Bishop Aloysius John Wycislo, Bishop Emeritus of Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA, has died. He was the oldest living bishop in the USA. He was 97 - having served as a priest for 71 years and as a bishop for 45 years. He had retired in 1983. May he rest in peace.

Hauke named Erfurt Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Reinhard Hauke was named Auxiliary Bishop of Erfurt, Germany and titular bishop of Flumenpiscense. He had been serving as a priest of the same diocese.

Wood named Durban Auxiliary

Bishop-elect Barry Wood, O.M.I. was named Auxiliary Bishop of Durban, South Africa and titular bishop of Babra. Bishop-elect Wood had been serving as Vicar General of the same archdiocese.

Nxumalo named Bloemfontein Archbishop

Archbishop-desginate Jabulani Adatus Nxumalo, O.M.I. was named Archbishop of Bloemfontein, South Africa. The archdiocese had been vacant since Archbishop Buti Joseph Tlhagale, O.M.I. was named Archbishop of Johannesburg in April, 2003. Archbishop-designate Nxumalo had been serving as an Auxiliary Bishop of Durban for 3 years.

Archbishop Mbogha Died

Archbishop Charles Kambale Mbogha, Archbishop of Bukavu, Congo (Dem. Rep.), has died. He had been serving as a bishop for 15 years. May he rest in peace.

Bishop do Amaral Died

Bishop Alberto Cosme do Amaral, Bishop Emeritus of Leiria-Fátima, Portugal, has died. He had retired in 1993 after serving as a bishop for 28 years. May he rest in peace.

Why a Blog?

I suppose now that you've found this blog your first question would be why a blog?

For the moment its yet another technology experiment related to the Catholic-Hierarchy website. Its goal is to replace the RSS feed currently found on that site. The content will be substantially the same as that feed. (You may note that I have back filled the blog with the last couple of months of entries from the RSS feed.)

For users the main advantages are not having to mess with an RSS reader to view recent updates and having an easy to access archive. For me its a much easier way to provide the same information - the old method required manually editing an XML file.

Feel free to provide feedback via the form on the website (its operational again!)

Archbishop Ettore Cunial Died

Archbishop Ettore Cunial, Vice-Chamberlain Emeritus, has died. He was the oldest bishop in the world - just 6 weeks from turning 100. He had served as an archbishop for 52 years and as a priest for 76 years. May he rest in peace.
Bishop Antoine Nguyên Van Thien, Bishop Emeritus of Vinh Long, Viêt Nam now becomes the oldest living bishop.
Lists of the Oldest and Youngest living bishops are available on the main website.

Rowland retired as Dundee Bishop

Bishop Michael Vincent Paschal Rowland, O.F.M. retired as Bishop of Dundee, South Africa. He had been serving as Bishop for 22 years.

Archbishop Prata Vuolo Died

Archbishop Gennaro Maria Prata Vuolo, S.D.B., Archbishop Emeritus of Cochabamba, Bolivia, has died. He resigned in 1987 after having served as a bishop for 27 years. May he rest in peace.

Mireles Vaquera retired, Rendón Leal named El Salto Prelate

Bishop Manuel Mireles Vaquera retired and Bishop-elect Ruy Rendón Leal was named Prelate of El Salto, Durango, México. Bishop Mireles Vaquera had been serving as a bishop for 22 years. Bishop-elect Rendón Leal had been serving as a priest of the archdiocese of Monterrey.

Reig Pla named Cartagena Bishop

Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla was named Bishop of Cartagena (en España). The diocese had been vacant since Manuel Ureña Pastor was named Archbishop of Zaragoza in March. Bishop Reig Pla had been serving as Bishop of Segorbe-Castellón de la Plan since 1996.

Erected: Serrinha, Brazil; Assolari named Bishop

The diocese of Serrinha, Baia, Brazil was erected with territory taken from the archdiocese of Feira de Santana and the diocese of Paulo Afonso. Bishop-elect Ottorino Assolari, C.S.F. was named as its first bishop.

Andrade Ponte resigned, da Silva named São Luís do Maranhão Archbishop

Archbishop Paulo Eduardo Andrade Ponte retired and Archbishop-designate José Belisário da Silva, O.F.M. was named Archbishop of São Luís do Maranhão, Maranho, Brazil. Archbishop Andrade Ponte had been serving as a bishop for 34 years. Archbishop-designate da Silva had been serving as Bishop of Bacabal.

Jose named Urdaneta Bishop

Bishop-elect Jacinto Agcaoili Jose was named Bishop of Urdaneta, Philippines. The diocese had been vacant since the death of Bishop Jesus Castro Galang just over a year ago. Bishop-elect Jose had been serving as a priest in the Diocese of Laoag.

Antonysamy named Sierra Leone Nuncio

Archbishop-elect George Antonysamy was named Apostolic Nuncio to Sierra Leone while retaining his other posts.

Erected: Yoro, Honduras; Giasson named Bishop

The diocese of Yoro, Honduras was erected with territory taken from the archdiocese of Tegucigalpa. Bishop-elect Jean-Louis Giasson, P.M.E. was named as its first bishop.

Urosa Savino named Caracas Santiago de Venezuela Archbishop

Archbishop Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino was named Archbishop of Caracas, Santiago de Venezuela. The archdiocese had been vacant since the death of Archbishop Antonio Ignacio Velasco Garcia, S.D.B. in July, 2003. Archbishop Urosa Savina had been serving as Archbishop of Valencia en Venezuela since 1990.

Ysern de Arce retired, Agurto Muñoz succeeded as San Carlos de Ancud Bishop

Bishop Juan Luis Ysern de Arce retired and Bishop Juan Maria Florindo Agurto Muñoz, O.S.M. succeeded him as Bishop of San Carlos de Ancud, Chile. Bishop Ysern de Arce had been serving as a bishop for 33 years. Bishop Agurto Muñoz had been serving as Coadjutor Bishop since 2001.

Bishop Dossavi Died

Bishop Paul Jean-Marie Dossavi, Bishop of Aného, Togo, has died. He had been serving as bishop for 9 years. May he rest in peace.

Tartaglia named Paisley Bishop

Bishop-elect Philip Tartaglia was named Bishop of Paisley, Scotland. The diocese had been vacant since Bishop John Aloysius Mone retired in October, 2004. Bishop-elect Tartaglia had been serving as a priest in the Archdiocese of Glasgow.

Elevated: Our Lady of Nareg in New York (Armenian)

The Apostolic Exarchate of United States of America and Canada for Armenians was elevated to the Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in New York (Armenian), USA. Bishop Manuel Batakian, I.C.P.B. remains the ordinary, now with the title Eparch. He has been the ordinary since 2000.

Twal named Jerusalem Coadjutor Archbishop

Archbishop Fouad Twal was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Gerusalemme {Jerusalem}. Patriarch Michel Sabbah remains as the ordinary. Archbishop Twal had been serving as Bishop of Tunis, Tunisia.

Lahham named Tunis Bishop

Bishop-elect Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham was named Bishop of Tunis, Tunisia. Bishop-elect Lahham had been serving as a priest of Gerusalemme {Jerusalem}.

Bishop Giles Vázquez Died

Bishop José Miguel Ángel Giles Vázquez, Bishop of Ciudad Altamirano, Guerrero, México, has died. He had only been serving as bishop since June, 2004. May he rest in peace.

Padoin retired, Pascarella succeeded as Pozzuoli Bishop

Bishop Silvio Padoin retired and Bishop Gennaro Pascarella succeeded him as Bishop of Pozzuoli, Italy. Bishop Padoin had been serving as bishop for 12 years. Bishop Pascarella had been serving as Coadjutor Bishop since January, 2004.

Francis retired, Susaimanickam succeeded as Sivagangai Bishop

Bishop Edward Francis retired and Bishop Jebalamai Susaimanickam succeeded him as Bishop of Sivagangai, India. Bishop Francis had been serving as bishop for 18 years. Bishop Susaimanickam had been serving as Coadjutor Bishop since March.