Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aracaju

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Archdiocese of Aracaju Archidioecesis Aracaiuensis Arquidiocese de Aracaju
Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception
Location
Country	Brazil
Ecclesiastical province	Aracaju
Statistics
Area	7,019 km2 (2,710 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members)	(as of 2012) 1,272,000 1,069,000 (84%)
Parishes	88
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	3 January 1910 (111 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Aracaju
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	José Palmeira Lessa
Bishops emeritus	Luciano José Cabral Duarte
Map
Website
www.arquidiocesedearacaju.org

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aracaju (Latin: Archidioecesis Aracaiuensis) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese in the State of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil.

Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao, dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, in the city of Aracaju. It has two more World Heritage Site, parish/convent churches in São Cristóvão, Sergipe: Igreja de Santa Casa de Misericórdia and Igreja e Convento de São Cruz (São Francisco).

Statistics[]

As per 2014, it pastorally served 1,086,000 Catholics (84.1% of 1,292,000 total) on 7,019 km² in 99 parishes with 159 priests (129 diocesan, 30 religious), 21 deacons, 321 lay religious (119 brothers, 202 sisters) and 34 seminarians.

History[]

It was established on January 3, 1910, as Diocese of Aracaju, on territory split off from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia. On April 30, 1960, it was promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Aracaju, losing territory to establish its two suffragans: Diocese of Estância and Diocese of Propriá.

Ecclesiastical province[]

Its Suffragan dioceses are both daughter sees :

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Estância
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Propriá

Episcopal ordinaries[]

(all Latin Rite Brazilians)

Suffragan Bishops of Aracaju

• (1911.05.12 – death 1948.10.31)
• (1949.02.01 – 1957.03.07), previously Bishop of Penedo (Brazil) (1943.01.09 – 1949.02.01); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Goiânia (Brazil) (1957.03.07 – death 1985.06.01)
• José Vicente Távora (1957.11.20 – 1960.04.30 see below), previously Titular Bishop of Prusias ad Hypium (1954.06.23 – 1957.11.20) as Auxiliary Bishop of (São Sebastião do) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (1954.06.23 – 1957.11.20)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Aracaju

• (see above 1960.04.30 – death 1970.04.03)
• Luciano José Cabral Duarte (1971.02.12 – retired 1998.08.26), also First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (1979 – 1983); succeeded as former Titular Bishop of Gadiaufala (1966.07.14 – 1971.02.12) and Auxiliary Bishop of Aracaju (1966.07.14 – 1971.02.12)
• José Palmeira Lessa (1998.08.26 – 2017.01.18); previously Titular Bishop of Sita (1982.06.21 – 1987.10.30) as Auxiliary Bishop of (São Sebastião do) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (1982.06.21 – 1987.10.30), Bishop of Propriá (Brazil) (1987.10.30 – 1996.12.06), Coadjutor Archbishop of Aracaju (1996.12.06 – succession 1998.08.26)
• João José da Costa, Carmelite Order (O. Carm.) (2017.01.18 – ...), previously Bishop of Iguatu (Brazil) (2009.01.07 – 2014.11.05), Coadjutor Archbishop of Aracaju (2014.11.05 – succession 2017.01.18).

Other affiliated bishops[]

Coadjutor archbishops[]

• José Palmeira Lessa (1996-1998)
• , O. Carm. (2016-2017)

Auxiliary bishops[]

• (1963-1965), appointed Apostolic Administrator of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
• Luciano José Cabral Duarte (1966-1971), appointed Archbishop here
• , S.D.B. (1975-1980), appointed Bishop of Parnaíba, Piaui
• (1981-1986), appointed Bishop of Estância, Sergipe
• , O.S.M. (1988-1995), appointed Bishop of Irecê, Bahia
• (2001-2006), appointed Bishop of Palmeira dos Índios, Alagoas
• Henrique Soares da Costa (2009-2014), appointed Bishop of Palmares, Pernambuco

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops[]

• , appointed Bishop of Caetité, Bahia in 1914
• Avelar Brandão Vilela. appointed Bishop of Petrolina, Pernambuco in 1946; future Cardinal
• , appointed Bishop of Estância, Sergipe in 2003
• , appointed Bishop of Teixeira de Freitas-Caravelas, Bahia in 2005
• , appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Fortaleza, Ceara in 2018

Sources and external links[]

• GCatholic.org with Google mapa & - satellite photo; data for all sections
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Diocese website

Coordinates: 10°54′48″S 37°03′06″W / 10.9133°S 37.0517°W / -10.9133; -37.0517