Serafín Cartagena Ocaña

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Serafín Luis Alberto Cartagena Ocaña O.F.M. (7 November 1924 – 16 January 2026) was an Ecuadorian Roman Catholic prelate who was consecrated a bishop in 1983 and served as the vicar apostolic of Zamora in Ecuador from 1982 to 2003. He was the prefect apostolic of Galápagos from 1980 to 1982.

Early life

Cartagena was born on 7 November 1924, in Tixán, in the Ecuadorian Riobamba Canton and baptised as Luis Alberto. His parents were from Riobamba. He spent his childhood in Tixán. His father died in Guayaquil during surgery when he was five years old, and he returned with his mother to Riobamba.[1]

While still young he joined the Order of Friars Minor in Quito, changed his name to Serafín, and after studying at the Franciscan Theological Seminary in Quito was ordained a priest on 1 April 1951. In July that year, he celebrated his first Mass in his hometown. His mother died a month later.[1] In December he was sent as a missionary to Zamora-Chinchipe Province.

Prelate

On 17 May 1980, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Prefect Apostolic of Apostolic Prefecture Galápagos. On 10 September 1982, he was named titular bishop of Gibba and Apostolic Vicar of Zamora in Ecuador. He was consecrated a bishop on 2 February 1983 at the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco in Quito by Archbishop Vincenzo Maria Farano.[2]

On 1 February 2003, Pope John Paul accepted his resignation as Apostolic Vicar of Zamora, appointing his successor at the same time.[3][4]

Death

Cartagena Ocaña died at a retirement home, the Convent of San Francisco, in Guayaquil, on 16 January 2026. He was 101.[5][6]

References

  1. 1.[1.2]"Luis Alberto Cartagena Ocaña". Zamora en Directo (in Spanish). 7 September 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  2. 2."Bishop Serafín Luis Alberto Cartagena Ocaña, O.F.M." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  3. 3."Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  4. 4.Apostolic Vicariate of Zamora, Ecuador
  5. 5."Con profundo pesar, comunicamos el fallecimiento de Mons. Serafín Cartagena Ocaña, a la venerable edad de 101 años, ocurrido el 16 de enero de 2026, en la Fraternidad Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, de Guayaquil". San Antonio FM on Facebook. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  6. 6."Lutti nell'episcopato". L'Osservatore Romano (in Italian). 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.