The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antofagasta () is a Latin Rite Metropolitan archdiocese in northern Chile's Antofagasta Province.
Special churches Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is Catedral San José, dedicated to Saint Joseph, in the city of Antofagasta. It also has a Minor Basilica : Basílica del Corazón de María
History 1881: Established as Mission “sui iuris” of Antofagasta, on territory split off from the Diocese of La Serena (now Metropolitan) 1887: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Antofagasta 3 February 1928: Promoted as Diocese of Antofagasta 1965.07.21: Lost territory to establish Territorial Prelature of Calama (now suffragan Diocese of San Juan de Calama) 28 June 1967: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Antofagasta/ Antofagasten(sis) (Latin adjective) Enjoyed a Papal visit from Pope John Paul II in April 1987.
Statistics As per 2014, it pastorally served 386,017 Catholics (70.2% of 550,256 total) on 84,504 km2 in 20 parishes and 67 missions with 37 priests (18 diocesan, 19 religious), 28 deacons, 108 lay religious (24 brothers, 84 sisters) and 2 seminarians.
Ecclesiastical province The Metropolitan's Suffragan sees are : Roman Catholic Diocese of Iquique Roman Catholic Diocese of San Juan Bautista de Calama, its daughter see Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marcos de Arica
Bishops (all Roman rite Chileans)
Ordinaries Ecclesiastical Superior of Antofagasta Father Florencio Eduardo Fontecilla Sánchez (1883 – 1886.12.23), next Bishop of mother see La Serena (Chile) (1890.06.26 – death 1909.03.03)
Apostolic Vicars of Antofagasta Bishop-elect Luís Silva Lezaeta first term (1887.05.15 – 1896) Fr. Felipe Salas Errázuriz (1896.03.04 – 1905) Luís Silva Lezaeta again (1904.11.04 – 1928.02.03 see below), Titular Bishop of Olena (1912.01.05 – 1928.02.03)
Suffragan Bishops of Antofagasta Luís Silva Lezaeta (see above 1928.02.03 – death 1929.05.21) Alfredo Cifuentes Gómez (1933.12.23 – 1943.06.05), next Metropolitan Archbishop of La Serena (Chile) (1943.06.05 – 1967.03.10), Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of Apostolic Administration of Copiapó (Chile) (1947.03.19 – 1948.06.17), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Thapsus (1967.03.10 – retired 1970.12.02), died 1989 BIOs TO ELABORATE Hernán Frías Hurtado (1945.01.13 – 1957.05.24) Francisco de Borja Valenzuela Ríos (1957.08.20 – 1967.06.28 see below)
Metropolitan Archbishops of Antofagasta Francisco de Borja Valenzuela Ríos (see above 1967.06.28 – 1974.03.25), next Archbishop (personal title) of San Felipe (1974.03.25 - 1993.04.16) Carlos Oviedo Cavada, O. de M. (1974.03.25 – 1990.03.30), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago de Chile (1990.03.30 - 1998.02.16), elevated to Cardinal in 1994; died 7 December 1998 Patricio Infante Alfonso (1990.12.12 – 2004.11.26) Pablo Lizama Riquelme (2004.11.26 – 8 June 2017) Ignacio Francisco Ducasse Medina (8 June 2017 – ...)
Coadjutor bishop Pablo Lizama Riquelme (2004)
Auxiliary bishops Arturo Mery Beckdorf (1941-1944, Apostolic Administrator 1943–1944), appointed Bishop of Valdivia Juan Luis Ysern de Arce (1972-1974), appointed Bishop of San Carlos de Ancud Juan Bautista Herrada Armijo, O. de M. (1991-1997)
See also List of Catholic dioceses in Chile
Sources and external links
GCatholic.org Diocese website
Catholic Hierarchy