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Metropolitan Archdiocese of Aracaju Archidioecesis Metropolitae Aracaiuensis Arquidiocese Metropolitano de Aracaju
Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Brazil
Ecclesiastical province	Aracaju
Statistics
Area	7,019 km2 (2,710 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2023) 1,435,108 1,004,576 (70%)
Parishes	112
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	3 January 1910 (115 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception inAracaju
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop	Dom.Josafá Menezes da Silva
Bishops emeritus	José Palmeira Lessa
Map
Website
www.arquidiocesedearacaju.org

TheRoman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Aracaju (Latin:Archidioecesis Metropolitae Aracaiuensis) is a Latin Metropolitanarchdiocese in the State ofSergipe, northeasternBrazil. Itscathedral archiepiscopal see isOur Lady of the Conception Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Conceiçao), dedicated toOur Lady of Immaculate Conception, in the city ofAracaju. TwoWorld Heritage Sites are owned by the Archdiocese inSão Cristóvão, Sergipe: theMisericórdia Hospital and Church (Igreja de Santa Casa de Misericórdia) and theChurch and Convent of Santa Cruz, also known as the Church and Convent of Saint Francis.

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.

It was established on January 3, 1910, asDiocese of Aracaju, on territory split off from theMetropolitan Archdiocese of São Salvador da Bahia.On April 30, 1960, it was promoted as MetropolitanArchdiocese of Aracaju, losing territory to establish its two suffragans:Diocese of Estância andDiocese of Propriá.

Itssuffragan dioceses are both daughter sees :

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Estância
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Propriá

• José Tomas Gomes da Silva [pt] (1911.05.12 – death 1948.10.31)
• Fernando Gomes dos Santos [pt] (1949.02.01 – 1957.03.07), previously Bishop ofPenedo (Brazil) (1943.01.09 – 1949.02.01); later Metropolitan Archbishop ofGoiânia (Brazil) (1957.03.07 – death 1985.06.01)
• José Vicente Távora [pt] (1957.11.20 – 1960.04.30see below), previouslyTitular Bishop ofPrusias ad Hypium (1954.06.23 – 1957.11.20) asAuxiliary Bishop of(São Sebastião do) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (1954.06.23 – 1957.11.20)

• José Vicente Távora [pt] (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 ofGadiaufala (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 ofSita (1982.06.21 – 1987.10.30) as Auxiliary Bishop of(São Sebastião do) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (1982.06.21 – 1987.10.30), Bishop ofPropriá (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 ofIguatu (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 ofVitória da Conquista (Brazil) (2019 – 2024)

• José Palmeira Lessa (1996–1998)
• João José da Costa [pt],O. Carm. (2016–2017)

• Nivaldo Monte [pt] (1963–1965), appointed Apostolic Administrator of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
• Luciano José Cabral Duarte (1966–1971), appointed Archbishop here
• Edvaldo Gonçalves Amaral [pt], S.D.B. (1975–1980), appointed Bishop of Parnaíba, Piaui
• Hildebrando Mendes Costa (1981–1986), appointed Bishop of Estância, Sergipe
• João Maria Messi [pt], O.S.M. (1988–1995), appointed Bishop of Irecê, Bahia
• Dulcênio Fontes de Matos [pt] (2001–2006), appointed Bishop of Palmeira dos Índios, Alagoas
• Henrique Soares da Costa (2009–2014), appointed Bishop of Palmares, Pernambuco

• Manuel Raimundo de Melo [pt], appointed Bishop of Caetité, Bahia in 1914
• Avelar Brandão Vilela. appointed

Bishop of Petrolina, Pernambuco in 1946; future Cardinal

• Luciano José Cabral Duarte. Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Aracaju, Sergipe in 1966.
• Marco Eugênio Galrão Leite de Almeida [pt], appointed Bishop of Estância, Sergipe in 2003
• Carlos Alberto dos Santos [pt], appointed Bishop of Teixeira de Freitas-Caravelas, Bahia in 2005
• Valdemir Vicente Andrade Santos [pt], appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Fortaleza, Ceara in 2018

• GCatholic.org with Google mapa & - satellite photo; data for all sections
• Diocese website

10°54′48″S37°03′06″W / 10.9133°S 37.0517°W /-10.9133; -37.0517

• Roman Catholic dioceses in Brazil
• Roman Catholic ecclesiastical provinces in Brazil
• Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Aracajú
• Christian organizations established in 1910
• Sergipe
• Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century
• 1910 establishments in Brazil
• Aracaju

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