The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Altos Quetzaltenango-Totonicapán (Latin: Archidioecesis Altensis, Quetzltenanguensis-Totonicapensis) is a Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese in Guatemala.
The archiepiscopal seat is Quetzaltenango Cathedral (Catedral del Espíritu Santo), initially built in Quetzaltenango in 1535. It also has a co-cathedral, San Miguel Arcángel, in Totonicapán.[1]
It was headed by Mario Alberto Molina Palma until his retirement on 10 December 2024; the same day Víctor Hugo Palma Paúl was appointed to the archbishopric.[2]
History
It was erected on 27 July 1921 as the Diocese of Quetzaltenango, Los Altos, on territory split off from Guatemala's Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese.
On 10 March 1951, it lost territory to establish the Diocese of San Marcos and the Diocese of Sololá-Chimaltenango, both of which became its suffragans.
It was elevated and renamed Archdiocese of Los Altos Quetzaltenango-Totonicapán on 13 February 1996. It lost more territory on 31 December 1996 to establish the Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu, another suffragan.
Province
Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own Archdiocese and the following suffragan dioceses :
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Huehuetenango
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Quiché
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marcos
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Sololá-Chimaltenango
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Suchitepéquez-Retalhuleu.
Extent
The Archdiocese covers the departments of Quetzaltenango and Totonicapán. It has 38 parishes, 45 diocesan priests, 30 religious priests, 41 friars and 80 nuns.[2][3]
Bishops
(all Roman Rite)
Episcopal ordinaries
- Jorge García Caballeros (1928.06.30 – 1955.04.05)
- Luis Manresa Formosa, S.J. (1955.11.30 – 1979.05.30), resigned
- Oscar Garcia Urizar (1980.03.04 – 1987.01.08), resigned
- Victor Hugo Martínez Contreras (1987.04.04 – 1996.02.13 see below)
- Victor Hugo Martínez Contreras (see above 1996.02.13 – 2007.04.19), retired
- Oscar Julio Vian Morales, S.D.B. (2007.04.19 – 2010.10.02), appointed Archbishop of Guatemala Apostolic administrator Gonzalo de Villa y Vásquez, S.J. (2010.10.02 – 2011.09.17), while Bishop of the suffragan see Sololá–Chimaltenango
- Mario Alberto Molina Palma, O.A.R. (2011.07.14 – 2024.12.10), retired
- Víctor Hugo Palma Paúl (2024.12.10 – Present)
Auxiliary bishops
- Rafael González Estrada (1944–1955), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Guatemala
- Gerardo Humberto Flores Reyes (1966–1969), appointed Bishop of Verapaz, Cobán
- Juan Manuel Cuá Ajacum (2021-2023), appointed Bishop of Quiché
Sources and external links
- GigaCatolic, with incumbent biography links
14°50′01″N 91°31′04″W / 14.8336°N 91.5179°W / 14.8336; -91.5179
References
- 1."Cathedrals Guatemala". gcatholic.org. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
- 2.[2.2]"Archdiocese of Los Altos Quetzaltenango-Totonicapán". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- 3."Arquidiócesis de los Altos". www.iglesiacatolica.org.gt. Retrieved 2009-07-09.