Archdiocese of Santo Domingo

Historical Details

• Diocese of Santo Domingo
  • Latin Name: Sancti Dominici
  • Erected: 8 August 1511
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Sevilla {Seville}
  • Country: Dominican Republic

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Francisco Garcia de Padilla, O.F.M. Obs. † (13 Aug 1511 Appointed - 1515 Died)
• Alejandro Geraldini (Gerardini, Gueraldini) † (23 Nov 1516 Appointed - 8 Mar 1524 Died)
• Luis de Figueroa, O.S.H. † ( 1525 Appointed - 1526 Died)
• Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal (Arellano) † (23 Dec 1528 Appointed - 29 Jul 1538 Appointed, Bishop of Tuy)
• Alfonso de Fuenmayor † (27 Oct 1538 Appointed - 1 Mar 1554 Died)
• Diego de Covarrubias y Leiva † (24 Apr 1556 Appointed - 26 Jan 1560 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Ciudad Rodrigo)
• Juan Salcedo † (9 Jan 1562 Appointed - Dec 1562 Died)
• Juan Alzóloras (Arzolaras), O.S.H. † (15 Feb 1566 Appointed - 17 Sep 1568 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Islas Canarias {Canary Islands})
• Francisco Andrés de Carvajal, O.F.M. Obs. † (10 May 1570 Appointed - 28 Aug 1577 Died)
• Alfonso López de Avila † (14 Mar 1580 Appointed - 29 Nov 1591 Appointed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
• Nicolás de Ramos y Santos, O.F.M. Obs. † (13 Jul 1592 Appointed - 1 Dec 1599 Died)
• Agustín Dávila y Padilla, O.P. † (17 Aug 1599 Appointed - 26 Jul 1604 Died)
• Domingo Valderrama y Centeno, O.P. † (25 Sep 1606 Appointed - 28 May 1608 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of La Paz)
• Cristóbal Rodríguez Juárez (Suárez), O.P. † (2 Jun 1608 Appointed - 16 Jan 1612 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Arequipa)
• Diego de Contreras, O.S.A. † (18 Jun 1612 Appointed - 24 Apr 1618 Died)
• Pedro de Solier y Vargas, O.E.S.A. † (16 Dec 1619 Appointed - 9 Jul 1620 Died)
• Pedro de Oviedo Falconi, O. Cist. † (11 Jan 1621 Appointed - 10 Jul 1628 Confirmed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Quito)
• Fernando de Vera y Zuñiga, O.S.A. † (13 Nov 1628 Appointed - 16 Jul 1629 Confirmed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Cuzco)
• Bernardino de Almansa Carrión † (17 Sep 1629 Appointed - 15 Dec 1631 Confirmed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
• Facundo (Fernando) de la Torre, O.S.B. † (2 Jan 1632 Confirmed - 25 Sep 1640 Died)
• Diego de Guevara y Estrada † (13 Jan 1642 Confirmed - Apr 1642 Died)
• Maestro Valderas, O. de M. † ( 1647 Appointed - 1648 Resigned)
• Francisco Pio Guadalupe Téllez † (23 Nov 1648 Appointed - 5 Mar 1660 Died)
• Francisco de la Cueva Maldonado † (21 Aug 1662 Appointed - 15 Oct 1667 Died)
• Juan de Escalante Turcios y Mendoza † (27 Feb 1673 Confirmed - 29 Apr 1680 Confirmed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Yucatán (Mérida))
• Domingo Fernández Navarrete, O.P. † (4 May 1682 Appointed - 26 Feb 1686 Died)
• Fernando de Carvajal y Ribera (Rivera), O. de M. † (3 Mar 1687 Appointed - Dec 1700 Resigned)
• Francisco del Rincón, O.M. † (14 Dec 1705 Appointed - 26 Feb 1714 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Caracas, Santiago de Venezuela)
• Antonio Claudio Alvarez de Quiñones † (12 Apr 1717 Appointed - 29 Jan 1725 Appointed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
• Francisco Mendigaño Armendáriz † (8 Apr 1726 Appointed - 30 Oct 1728 Died)
• Juan de Galabis, O. Praem. † (28 Nov 1729 Confirmed - 3 Mar 1738 Confirmed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
• Domingo Pantaleón Álvarez de Abreu † (3 Mar 1738 Confirmed - 20 May 1743 Confirmed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Tlaxcala (Puebla de los Angeles))
• Ignacio Padilla Estrada (Guardiola), O.S.A. † (20 May 1743 Confirmed - 28 May 1753 Confirmed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Yucatán (Mérida))
• José Moreno Curiel, O.SS.T. † (28 May 1753 Confirmed - 27 Nov 1755 Died)
• Felipe Ruiz de Ausmendi † (28 Mar 1757 Appointed - 8 Sep 1766 Died)
• Isidro Rodríguez Lorenzo, O.S.Bas. † (14 Dec 1767 Appointed - 12 Sep 1788 Retired)
• Fernando del Portillo y Torres, O.P. † (15 Sep 1788 Appointed - 29 Oct 1798 Appointed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
• Pedro Valera y Jiménez † (14 Apr 1817 Appointed - 19 Mar 1833 Died)
• Tomás de Portes e Infante † (20 Jan 1848 Appointed - 8 Apr 1858 Died)
• Antonio Cerezano Camarena † (27 Jan 1860 Appointed - 11 Jul 1860 Died)
• Bienvenido Monzón y Martín † (7 Apr 1862 Confirmed - 8 Jun 1866 Confirmed, Archbishop of Granada)
• Leopoldo Angelo Santanchè, O.F.M. Ref. † (3 Mar 1871 Appointed - 13 Nov 1874 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of Constantinople)
• Rocco Cocchia, O.F.M. Cap. † (28 Jul 1874 Appointed - 9 Aug 1883 Appointed, Archbishop of Otranto)
• Fernando Antonio Arturo de Merino y Ramírez † (3 Jul 1885 Appointed - 20 Aug 1906 Died)
• Adolfo Alejandro Nouel y Bobadilla † (20 Aug 1906 Succeeded - 11 Oct 1935 Resigned)
• Ricardo Pittini Piussi, S.D.B. † (11 Oct 1935 Appointed - 10 Dec 1961 Died)
• Octavio Antonio Beras Rojas † (10 Dec 1961 Succeeded - 15 Nov 1981 Retired)
• Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez (15 Nov 1981 Appointed - 4 Jul 2016 Retired)
• Francisco Ozoria Acosta (4 Jul 2016 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Santo Domingo
1950	2,165,000	2,185,000	99.1%	41	117	158	13,702		94	331	65	ap1951
1964	996,390	1,016,775	98.0%	34	141	175	5,693		232	611	42	ap1967
1970	1,084,818	1,356,073	80.0%	24	179	203	5,343		258	721	65	ap1971
1976	1,573,998	1,748,886	90.0%	29	221	250	6,295		321	797	82	ap1977
1980	1,941,000	2,066,000	93.9%	35	211	246	7,890	5	328	797	83	ap1981
1990	1,736,000	1,925,000	90.2%	53	185	238	7,294	16	586	647	109	ap1991
1999	2,502,617	2,634,334	95.0%	87	238	325	7,700	19	430	808	141	ap2000
2000	2,524,717	2,698,898	93.5%	99	243	342	7,382	21	394	802	137	ap2001
2001	2,586,893	2,874,326	90.0%	105	253	358	7,225	22	425	838	152	ap2002
2002	2,810,778	2,960,556	94.9%	119	264	383	7,338	23	483	869	161	ap2003
2003	2,895,101	3,049,372	94.9%	149	264	413	7,009	44	392	888	171	ap2004
2004	3,110,311	3,274,012	95.0%	139	269	408	7,623	68	372	894	186	ap2005
2010	4,890,250	5,770,529	84.7%	174	283	457	10,700	155	543	2,226	212	ap2011
2014	3,457,347	3,639,313	95.0%	190	288	478	7,232	159	610	2,235	214	ap2015
2017	3,511,280	3,900,703	90.0%	210	294	504	6,966	166	653	2,280	216	ap2018
2020	3,607,400	4,007,194	90.0%	227	168	395	9,132	158	546	1,063	215	ap2021
2022	3,850,000	4,277,000	90.0%	238	168	406	9,482	209	510	1,063	215	ap2023

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Ramón Benito Ángeles Fernández (Priest: 2002; Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Jul 2017 to 18 Mar 2024)
• Freddy Antonio de Jesús Bretón Martínez
• Faustino Burgos Brisman, C.M. (Auxiliary Bishop: 22 Jul 2017 to 17 Aug 2024)
• Gabriel Antonio Camilo González (Priest: 1 Jul 1962 to 10 Oct 1992)
• Jesús Castro Marte (Priest: 13 Jun 1995; Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Jul 2017 to 30 May 2020)
• Ramón Benito de La Rosa y Carpio (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Dec 1988 to 25 Mar 1995)
• José Amable Durán Tineo (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Jun 2020)
• José Dolores Grullón Estrella
• Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez (Archbishop: 15 Nov 1981 to 4 Jul 2016)
• Victor Emilio Masalles Pere (Priest: 7 Jul 1991; Auxiliary Bishop: 8 May 2010 to 14 Dec 2016)
• Francisco Ozoria Acosta (Archbishop: 4 Jul 2016 - )

  ---

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Bernardino de Almansa Carrión † (Archbishop: 17 Sep 1629 to 15 Dec 1631)
• Domingo Pantaleón Álvarez de Abreu † (Archbishop: 3 Mar 1738 to 20 May 1743)
• Antonio Claudio Alvarez de Quiñones † (Archbishop: 12 Apr 1717 to 29 Jan 1725)
• Juan Alzóloras (Arzolaras), O.S.H. † (Archbishop: 15 Feb 1566 to 17 Sep 1568)
• Francisco José Arnáiz Zarandona, S.J. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Dec 1988 to 31 Jul 2002)
• Juan de Jesús Fabián Ayala y García † (Deacon: 1815; Priest: 1815 to 22 Aug 1879)
• Octavio Antonio Beras Rojas † (Priest: 13 Aug 1933; Coadjutor Archbishop: 2 May 1945; Archbishop: 10 Dec 1961 to 15 Nov 1981)
• Francisco Andrés de Carvajal, O.F.M. Obs. † (Archbishop: 10 May 1570 to 28 Aug 1577)
• Fernando de Carvajal y Ribera (Rivera), O. de M. † (Archbishop: 3 Mar 1687 to Dec 1700)
• Pablo Cedano Cedano † (Auxiliary Bishop: 31 May 1996 to 31 Oct 2013)
• Antonio Cerezano Camarena † (Priest: 1821; Archbishop: 27 Jan 1860 to 11 Jul 1860)
• Rocco Cocchia, O.F.M. Cap. † (Vicar Apostolic: 28 Jul 1874 to 9 Aug 1883)
• Diego de Contreras, O.S.A. † (Archbishop: 18 Jun 1612 to 24 Apr 1618)
• Diego de Covarrubias y Leiva † (Archbishop: 24 Apr 1556 to 26 Jan 1560)
• Agustín Dávila y Padilla, O.P. † (Archbishop: 17 Aug 1599 to 26 Jul 1604)
• Francisco de la Cueva Maldonado † (Archbishop: 21 Aug 1662 to 15 Oct 1667)
• Facundo (Fernando) de la Torre, O.S.B. † (Archbishop: 2 Jan 1632 to 25 Sep 1640)
• Francisco del Rincón, O.M. † (Archbishop: 14 Dec 1705 to 26 Feb 1714)
• Louis-Guillaume-Valentin Dubourg, P.S.S. †
• Juan de Escalante Turcios y Mendoza † (Archbishop: 27 Feb 1673 to 29 Apr 1680)
• Amancio Escapa Aparicio, O.C.D. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 31 May 1996 to 4 Jul 2016)
• Domingo Fernández Navarrete, O.P. † (Archbishop: 4 May 1682 to 26 Feb 1686)
• Luis de Figueroa, O.S.H. † (Bishop: 1525 to 1526)
• Alfonso de Fuenmayor † (Bishop: 27 Oct 1538; Archbishop: 12 Feb 1546 to 1 Mar 1554)
• Juan de Galabis, O. Praem. † (Archbishop: 28 Nov 1729 to 3 Mar 1738)
• Felipe Antonio Gallego Gorgojo, S.J. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 May 1945 to 1951)
• Francisco Garcia de Padilla, O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 13 Aug 1511 to 1515)
• Alejandro Geraldini (Gerardini, Gueraldini) † (Bishop: 23 Nov 1516 to 8 Mar 1524)
• Diego de Guevara y Estrada † (Archbishop: 13 Jan 1642 to Apr 1642)
• Alfonso López de Avila † (Archbishop: 14 Mar 1580 to 29 Nov 1591)
• Luis Antonio de Mena y Steinkoft † (Priest: 19 Sep 1896; Coadjutor Archbishop: 21 Apr 1922 to 1932)
• Francisco Mendigaño Armendáriz † (Archbishop: 8 Apr 1726 to 30 Oct 1728)
• Fernando Antonio Arturo de Merino y Ramírez † (Deacon: 27 Jun 1855; Priest: 24 Apr 1856; Archbishop: 3 Jul 1885 to 20 Aug 1906)
• Bienvenido Monzón y Martín † (Archbishop: 7 Apr 1862 to 8 Jun 1866)
• José Moreno Curiel, O.SS.T. † (Archbishop: 28 May 1753 to 27 Nov 1755)
• Adolfo Alejandro Nouel y Bobadilla † (Priest: 19 Dec 1885; Coadjutor Archbishop: 11 Oct 1904; Archbishop: 20 Aug 1906 to 11 Oct 1935)
• Pedro de Oviedo Falconi, O. Cist. † (Archbishop: 11 Jan 1621 to 10 Jul 1628)
• Ignacio Padilla Estrada (Guardiola), O.S.A. † (Archbishop: 20 May 1743 to 28 May 1753)
• Juan Félix Pepén y Soliman † (Priest: 29 Jun 1947 to 1 Apr 1959; Auxiliary Bishop: 10 May 1975 to 11 Feb 1995)
• Ricardo Pittini Piussi, S.D.B. † (Archbishop: 11 Oct 1935 to 10 Dec 1961)
• Hugo Eduardo Polanco Brito † (Apostolic Administrator: 14 Mar 1966; Coadjutor Archbishop: 20 Jan 1970 to 10 May 1975)
• Tomás de Portes e Infante † (Archbishop: 20 Jan 1848 to 8 Apr 1858)
• Fernando del Portillo y Torres, O.P. † (Archbishop: 15 Sep 1788 to 29 Oct 1798)
• Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal (Arellano) † (Bishop: 23 Dec 1528 to 29 Jul 1538)
• Nicolás de Ramos y Santos, O.F.M. Obs. † (Archbishop: 13 Jul 1592 to 1 Dec 1599)
• Fabio Mamerto Rivas Santos, S.D.B. †
• Cristóbal Rodríguez Juárez (Suárez), O.P. † (Archbishop: 2 Jun 1608 to 16 Jan 1612)
• Isidro Rodríguez Lorenzo, O.S.Bas. † (Archbishop: 14 Dec 1767 to 12 Sep 1788)
• Elías Rodríguez Ortiz † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 19 Mar 1857 to 29 Nov 1857)
• Felipe Ruiz de Ausmendi † (Archbishop: 28 Mar 1757 to 8 Sep 1766)
• Juan Salcedo † (Archbishop: 9 Jan 1562 to Dec 1562)
• Leopoldo Angelo Santanchè, O.F.M. Ref. † (Vicar Apostolic: 3 Mar 1871 to 13 Nov 1874)
• Pedro de Solier y Vargas, O.E.S.A. † (Archbishop: 16 Dec 1619 to 9 Jul 1620)
• Príamo Pericles Tejeda Rosario † (Priest: 11 May 1966; Auxiliary Bishop: 10 May 1975 to 8 Nov 1986)
• Francisco Pio Guadalupe Téllez † (Archbishop: 23 Nov 1648 to 5 Mar 1660)
• Maestro Valderas, O. de M. † (Archbishop: 1647 to 1648)
• Domingo Valderrama y Centeno, O.P. † (Archbishop: 25 Sep 1606 to 28 May 1608)
• Pedro Valera y Jiménez † (Archbishop: 14 Apr 1817 to 19 Mar 1833)
• Fernando de Vera y Zuñiga, O.S.A. † (Archbishop: 13 Nov 1628 to 16 Jul 1629)

Source(s)

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