Archdiocese of Aracaju
Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Brazil
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Aracaju (Latin: Archidioecesis Metropolitae Aracaiuensis) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese in the State of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is Our Lady of the Conception Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao), dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, in the city of Aracaju. Two World Heritage Sites are owned by the Archdiocese in São Cristóvão, Sergipe: the Misericórdia Hospital and Church (Igreja de Santa Casa de Misericórdia) and the Church and Convent of Santa Cruz, also known as the Church and Convent of Saint Francis.
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
Suffragan Bishops of Aracaju
José Tomas Gomes da Silva (1911.05.12 – death 1948.10.31)
Fernando Gomes dos Santos (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
José Vicente Távora (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 – 2024.03.13), previously Bishop of Iguatu (Brazil) (2009.01.07 – 2014.11.05), Coadjutor Archbishop of Aracaju (2014.11.05 – succession 2017.01.18).
Josafá Menezes da Silva (2024.03.13 – present), previously Metropolitan Archbishop of Vitória da Conquista (Brazil) (2019 – 2024)
Other affiliated bishops
Coadjutor archbishops
José Palmeira Lessa (1996–1998)
João José da Costa, O. Carm. (2016–2017)
Auxiliary bishops
Nivaldo Monte (1963–1965), appointed Apostolic Administrator of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
Luciano José Cabral Duarte (1966–1971), appointed Archbishop here
Edvaldo Gonçalves Amaral, S.D.B. (1975–1980), appointed Bishop of Parnaíba, Piaui
Hildebrando Mendes Costa (1981–1986), appointed Bishop of Estância, Sergipe
João Maria Messi, O.S.M. (1988–1995), appointed Bishop of Irecê, Bahia
Dulcênio Fontes de Matos (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
Manuel Raimundo de Melo, appointed Bishop of Caetité, Bahia in 1914
Avelar Brandão Vilela. appointed
Bishop of Petrolina, Pernambuco in 1946; future Cardinal
Luciano José Cabral Duarte.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Archdiocese of Aracaju” is catholic ecclesiastical territory in Brazil. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Archdiocese, Aracaju and Catholic, not as a finished interpretation.
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