Diocese of Nazaré, Brazil 🇧🇷

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Nazaré / Nazaren(sis) in Brasilia (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Olinda e Recife

Neighbouring Dioceses: Caruaru (↙), Campina Grande (↖), Paraíba (↑), Olinda e Recife (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Nossa Senhora da Conceição (December 8)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1918.08.02: Established as Diocese of Nazaré / Nazaren(sis) in Brasilia (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Olinda e Recife and became suffragan of Olinda e Recife)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2016.07.13 – ...):

Bishop Francisco de Assis Dantas de Lucena (62)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Nazaré (Roman Rite)

Bishop Francisco de Assis Dantas de Lucena (62)
(2016.07.13 – ...)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil)

Lux vestra luceat

Born:	1963.10.19 (Jardim do Seridó, RN, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1991.07.21
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.08.17

Priest of Caicó (Brazil) (1991.07.21 – 2008.05.28)

Bishop of Guarabira (Brazil) (2008.05.28 – 2016.07.13)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (2016.07.13 – ...)

Bishop Severino Batista de França, O.F.M. Cap. (81)
(2007.03.07 – 2015.11.25)

Bishop emeritus of Nazaré (Brazil)

Fiat Voluntas Tua

Born:	1945.01.29 (Bezeros, PE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1972.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	2004.10.07

Titular Bishop of Hierpiniana (2004.08.04 – 2007.03.07)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santarém (Brazil) (2004.08.04 – 2007.03.07)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (2007.03.07 – 2015.11.25)

Bishop Jorge Tobias de Freitas (90)
(1986.11.07 – 2006.07.26)

Bishop emeritus of Nazaré (Brazil)

Segregatus in Evangelium

Born:	1935.06.14 (Palmeira dos Índios, AL, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1965.01.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1981.06.14

Bishop of Caxias do Maranhão (Brazil) (1981.03.15 – 1986.11.07)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (1986.11.07 – 2006.07.26)

Bishop Manuel Lisboa de Oliveira
(1963.02.25 – 1986.11.07)

Born:	1916.02.25 (Monte Alegre, BA, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1948.06.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1963.05.26
Died:	2002.01.24 (Salvador, BA, Brazil † 85)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (1963.02.25 – 1986.11.07)

Bishop Manuel Pereira da Costa
(1959.06.20 – 1962.08.23)

Ignem amoris accende

Born:	1915.09.12 (Pocinhos, PB, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1940.03.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1954.08.15
Died:	2006.07.25 (João Pessoa, PB, Brazil † 90)

Titular Bishop of Knin (1954.05.31 – 1959.06.20)

Auxiliary Bishop of Paraíba (Brazil) (1954.05.31 – 1959.06.20)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (1959.06.20 – 1962.08.23)

Bishop of Campina Grande (Brazil) (1962.08.23 – 1981.05.20)

Bishop João de Souza Lima (later Archbishop)
(1955.02.06 – 1958.01.16)

Born:	1913.03.22 (Tacaratu, PE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1939.11.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.09.21
Died:	1984.10.01 († 71)

Titular Bishop of Derbe (1949.05.14 – 1955.02.06)

Auxiliary Bishop of Diamantina (Brazil) (1949.05.14 – 1955.02.06)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (1955.02.06 – 1958.01.16)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus (Brazil) (1958.01.16 – 1980.04.21)

Apostolic Administrator of Itacoatiara (Brazil) (1972 – 1975)

Coadjutor Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (1980.04.21 – 1981.10.19)

Bishop Carlos Gouvêa Coelho (later Archbishop)
(1948.01.10 – 1954.12.14)

In caritate Christi

Born:	1907.12.28 (João Pessôa, PB, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1930.02.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1948.05.02
Died:	1964.03.07 (Recife, PE, Brazil † 56)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (1948.01.10 – 1954.12.14)

Bishop of Niterói (Brazil) (1954.12.14 – 1960.03.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Olinda e Recife (Brazil) (1960.03.26 – 1964.03.07)

Bishop Riccardo Ramos de Castro Vilela
(1919.07.03 – 1946.08.16)

Born:	1887.04.03 (Olinda, PE, Brazil)
Ordained Priest:	1910.11.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1919.09.07
Died:	1958.08.08 († 71)

Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (1919.07.03 – 1946.08.16)

Titular Bishop of Antipyrgos (1946.08.16 – 1958.08.08)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Jaime Mota de Farias (1982.07.14 – 1986.11.07)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Nazaré da Mata, Pernambuco
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (43)

Caruaru (↙), Campina Grande (↖), Paraíba (↑), Olinda e Recife (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 5,956 km²

Population: 929,000 Catholics (85.1% of 1,092,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 41 parishes, 3 missions

Personnel: 81 priests (71 diocesan, 10 religious), 19 deacons, 46 religious (16 brothers, 30 sisters), 40 seminarians