Diocese of Tilar�n-Liberia

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Bishop(s) Manuel Eugenio Salazar Mora, Bishop Vittorino Girardi Stellin, M.C.C.I., Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Name Changed: 18 December 2010 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of San Jos� de Costa Rica Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Costa Rica Square Kilometers: 11,720 (4,526 Square Miles) Mailing Address: Obispado, Guanacaste, 50 Sur del Banco de Popular, Antiguo Colegio Santa Ana, Apartado 28, 5710 Tilarán; Costado este de la Esquela Ascencion Esquivel, Liberia, Costa Rica Telephone: 2695.5016 Fax: (same)

Historical Details

• Diocese of Tilar�n
  • Latin Name: Tilaranensis
  • Erected: 22 July 1961
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of San Jos� de Costa Rica
  • Country: Costa Rica
  • Description: Province of Guanacaste and the Upala Canton of Alajuela.

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Rom�n Arrieta Villalobos † (12 Aug 1961 Appointed - 2 Jul 1979 Appointed, Archbishop of San Jos� de Costa Rica)
• H�ctor Morera Vega † (4 Dec 1979 Appointed - 13 Jul 2002 Retired)
• Vittorino Girardi Stellin, M.C.C.I. (13 Jul 2002 Appointed - 6 Feb 2016 Retired)
• Manuel Eugenio Salazar Mora (6 Feb 2016 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Tilar�n
22 July 1961	Erected	Diocese of Alajuela (Province of Guanacaste; City of Puntarenas excluding that south of the river Iesus Maria; the City of Montes de Oro; and the region north of the rivers Arenai and San Carlos)	Diocese of Tilar�n (erected)
15 November 1967	Name Changed		Diocese of Tilar�n (Latin from Pluviensis)
16 November 1967	Territory Added	Diocese of Alajuela (Cant�n Esparta and part of Cant�n Central Puntarenas)	Diocese of Tilar�n
15 December 1986	Territory Lost	Diocese of Tilar�n (Los Chiles and Monterrey)	Diocese of Alajuela
25 July 1995	Territory Lost	Diocese of Alajuela (San Carlos, Los Chiles, and Sarapiqu�) Diocese of Tilar�n (Upala and Guatuso)	Diocese of Ciudad Quesada (erected)
17 April 1998	Territory Lost	Diocese of San Isidro de El General (Aguirre and Parrita) Diocese of Tilar�n (Garabito, Esparza, Montes de Oro, and Puntarenas)	Diocese of Puntarenas (erected)
Diocese of Tilar�n-Liberia
18 December 2010	Name Changed	Diocese of Tilar�n	Diocese of Tilar�n-Liberia

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Diocese of Tilar�n
1966	247,139	251,154	98.4%	25	5	30	8,237			50	15	ap1967
1970	288,000	300,000	96.0%	32	5	37	7,783		5	53	17	ap1971
1976	301,000	318,626	94.5%	36	6	42	7,166		6	47	18	ap1977
1980	333,300	352,383	94.6%	18	5	23	14,491		5	45	18	ap1981
1990	319,000	328,000	97.3%	36	13	49	6,510		13	59	28	ap1991
1999	321,250	329,250	97.6%	44		44	7,301			44	21	ap2000
2000	337,000	345,000	97.7%	57	1	58	5,810		1	43	21	ap2001
2001	338,000	347,000	97.4%	56	1	57	5,929		1	43	21	ap2002
2002	339,500	350,000	97.0%	54	2	56	6,062		2	45	24	ap2003
2003	314,500	370,000	85.0%	47	3	50	6,290		3	44	24	ap2004
2004	318,750	375,000	85.0%	41	3	44	7,244	1	3	62	25	ap2005
2010	366,000	430,000	85.1%	46	10	56	6,535	4	14	92	34	ap2011
Diocese of Tilar�n-Liberia
2014	384,000	453,000	84.8%	52	10	62	6,193	10	15	72	36	ap2015
2017	398,800	486,200	82.0%	48	11	59	6,759	6	15	60	32	ap2018
2020	384,223	491,015	78.3%	60		60	6,403	10		68	36	ap2021
2022	387,830	500,122	77.5%	44	4	48	8,079	22	4	14	36	ap2023

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Dagoberto Campos Salas (Deacon: 3 Dec 1993; Priest: 22 May 1994 to 28 Jul 2018)
• Victor Hugo Castillo Matarrita, M.C.C.I.
• Vittorino Girardi Stellin, M.C.C.I. (Bishop: 13 Jul 2002 to 6 Feb 2016)
• Manuel Eugenio Salazar Mora (Bishop: 6 Feb 2016 - )

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Rom�n Arrieta Villalobos † (Bishop: 12 Aug 1961 to 2 Jul 1979)
• Oswaldo Brenes �lvarez † (Priest: 18 Dec 1966 to 19 Mar 2008)
• H�ctor Morera Vega † (Bishop: 4 Dec 1979 to 13 Jul 2002)

Source(s)

Diocese of Tilar�n Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 54, Page 422, to Page 424 Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 59, Page 1,061, and Page 1,062 Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 59, Page 1,126

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