Roman Catholic Diocese of São José do Rio Preto

The Roman Catholic Diocese of São José do Rio Preto (Latin: Dioecesis Riopretensis) is a diocese located in the city of São José do Rio Preto in the ecclesiastical province of Ribeirão Preto in Brazil.

Diocese of São José do Rio Preto Dioecesis Riopretensis
Location
Country	Brazil
Ecclesiastical province	Ribeirão Preto
Statistics
Area	14,423 km2 (5,569 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	934,000 701, 000 (75.05%)
Information
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	25 January 1929 (95 years ago)
Cathedral	Catedral São José
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Antônio Emídio Vilar, S.D.B.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Moacir Silva
Bishops emeritus	Tomé Ferreira da Silva
Map
Website
www.bispado.org.br

History

• 25 January 1929: Established as Diocese of Rio Preto from the Diocese of São Carlos do Pinhal
• 11 December 2002: Renamed as Diocese of São José do Rio Preto

Special churches

• Minor Basilicas:
  • Basílica Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Rio Preto

Bishops

Ordinaries, in reverse chronological order

• Bishops of São José do Rio Preto (Roman rite), below
  • Bishop Antônio Emídio Vilar, S.D.B. (19 January 2022 – present)
  • Bishop Tomé Ferreira da Silva (16 November 2012 – 18 August 2021)
  • Bishop Paulo Mendes Peixoto (25 February 2006 – 7 March 2012); elevated to Archbishop of Uberaba
  • Bishop Orani João Tempesta, O. Cist. (25 April 1997 – 8 December 2004); elevated to Archbishop of Belem do Para, then Archbishop of Sao Sebastio Rio de Janeiro; future Cardinal
• Bishops of Rio Preto (Roman Rite), below
  • Bishop José de Aquino Pereira (4 August 1968 – 26 February 1997)
  • Bishop Lafayette Libânio (27 December 1930 – 3 November 1966)

Auxiliary bishop

• José Joaquim Gonçalves (1957-1973), appointednBishop of Cornélio Procópio, Parana

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• David Dias Pimentel, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais in 1996

References

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Diocese website (Portuguese)