Roman Catholic Diocese of Zárate-Campana

Diocese of Zárate-Campana Dioecesis Zaratensis-Campanensis Diócesis de Zárate-Campana
Location
Country	Argentina
Ecclesiastical province	Mercedes-Luján
Metropolitan	Mercedes-Luján
Coordinates	34.1645°S 58.9595°W / -34.1645; -58.9595
Statistics
Area	5,903 km2 (2,279 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2010) 900,000 636,000 (90.9%)
Parishes	38
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	21 April 1976 (48 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathedral of St Florentina in Campana
Co-cathedral	Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Lord in Belén de Escobar
Patron saint	Our Lady of Luján Saint Joseph
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Pedro Maria Laxague
Metropolitan Archbishop	Jorge Eduardo Scheinig
Auxiliary Bishops	Justo Rodríguez Gallego
Bishops emeritus	Oscar Domingo Sarlinga
Map
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Zárate-Campana (Latin: Dioecesis Zaratensis-Campanensis) is a Latin rite suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Mercedes-Luján, in central Argentina on the Atlantic coast, having had a change of metropolitan from La Plata in 2019.

Its cathedral episcopal see is Catedral Santa Florentina, dedicated to Saint Florentina, in Campana, and it also has a co-cathedral: Cocatedral Natividad del Señor, dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lord, in Belén de Escobar, also in Buenos Aires Province.

History

It was created by Pope Paul VI on 21 April 1976, by the Papal Bulla "Qui consilio divino" as Diocese of Zárate–Campana / Zaraten(sis)–Campanen(sis) (Latin adjective), on territories split off from the Diocese of San Isidro and from the Diocese of San Nicolás de los Arroyos. The first bishop, Claretian Mgr. Alfredo Mario Espósito Castro, chosen by Paul VI on 21 April 1976, received his episcopal consecration and took possession of the see on 4 July 1976.

Extent and statistics

As of 2014, it pastorally served 660,000 Catholics (90.7% of 728,000 total) on 5,924 km² in 33 parishes and 89 missions with 88 priests (53 diocesan, 35 religious), 13 deacons, 178 lay religious (88 brothers, 90 sisters) and 27 seminarians.

It includes the cities of Campana (credited in its title), (Belén de) Escobar, Zarate, Baradero, Pilar, Exaltación de la Cruz and San Antonio de Areco, all in the northern part of Greater Buenos Aires.

Bishops

Episcopal ordinaries

• Alfredo Mario Espósito Castro, Claretians (C.M.F.) (1976.04.21 – resigned because of health reasons on 18 December 1991), died 2010
• Rafael Eleuterio Rey (18 December 1991 (took see on 21 March 1992 – resigned because of health reasons 3 February 2006); previously Titular Bishop of Hilta (1983.04.30 – 1991.12.18) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Mendoza (Argentina) (1983.04.30 – 1991.12.18)
• Oscar Domingo Sarlinga (3 February 2006 – retired 2015.11.03), previously Titular Bishop of Uzalis (2003.04.12 – 2006.02.03) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Mercedes–Luján (Argentina) (2003.04.12 – 2006.02.03)
• Pedro Maria Laxague (3 November 2015 – ...), previously Titular Bishop of Castra Severiana (2006.11.14 – 2015.11.03) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Bahía Blanca (Argentina) (2006.11.14 – 2015.11.03).

Auxiliary bishop

• Justo Rodríguez Gallego (appointed 2020) (2021–

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in Argentina

External links

• GCatholic, with Google map & satellite photo - data for all sections