Argentina—2

This blog will discuss six ecclesiastical provinces in the north and west of Argentina.

Province of Cordoba

The province consists of the civil Province of Cordoba.  The Diocese of Cordoba was established in 1570 and was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1934.  Construction of Cordoba’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption began in 1582, but the building collapsed in 1677.  Work on a new Spanish Baroque cathedral took place over much of the 18^th Century.  The interior features a sterling silver altar and gold and silver votive offerings, as well as murals and frescoes.

First picture is from pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan jurisdictions.

• The Diocese of Rio Cuarto was established in 1934 and was renamed Villa de la Conception del Rio Cuarto in 1995.
• The Diocese of Villa Maria was established in 1957.
• The Diocese of San Francisco was established in 1961.
• The Diocese of Cruz del Eje was established in 1963.
• The Territorial Prelature of Dean Funes was established in 1980. 

Province of Salta

The province consists of the civil Provinces of Salta, Catamarca, and Jujuy.  The Diocese of Salta was created in 1806 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Salta in 1934.  The Baroque Cathedral Basilica of Our Lord and the Virgin of Milagro in Salta replaced an earlier cathedral destroyed by an earthquake.  The church was built between 1858 and 1882.  Pope Pius XI named the cathedral a minor basilica in 1938. 

The first picture is from pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan jurisdictions.

• The Diocese of Catamarca was created in 1910.
• The Diocese of Jujuy was created in 1934.
• The Diocese of Oran was created in 1961.
• The Territorial Prelature of Cafayete was created in 1969.
• The Territorial Prelature of Humahuaca was created in 1969.

Province of San Juan de Cuyo

The province consists of the civil Provinces of San Juan, La Rioja, and San Luis.  The Apostolic Vicariate of San Juan de Cuyo was established in 1826 and became a diocese in 1834.  It was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1934.

St. John the Baptist Cathedral in San Juan de Cuyo replaced an 18th Century building destroyed by a 1944 earthquake.  The current Cathedral opened in 1979.  The front doors of the Cathedral are bronze and feature bas-reliefs of saints.  The interior is supported by twelve columns.  The 150-foot red brick bell tower has a clock and a German carillon.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of La Rioja was created in 1934.
• The Diocese of San Luis was created in 1934.

Province of Tucuman

The province consists of the civil Provinces of Tucuman and Santiago del Estero.  The Diocese of Tucuman was created in 1897 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1957.  Our Lady of the Incarnation Cathedral in San Miguel de Tucuman has its origins in the 17^th Century, but most of the current building dates to the middle 1800s.

All are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Santiago del Estero was created in 1570, suppressed in 1697, and was restored in 1907.
• The Diocese of Anatuya was created in 1961.
• The Diocese of Conception was created in 1963. 

Province of Corrientes

The province consists of the civil Provinces of Corrientes and Misiones.  The Diocese of Corrientes was created in 1910 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1961.  Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in Corrientes was built in the mid-1800s.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Posadas was established in 1957.
• The Diocese of Goya was established in 1961.
• The Diocese of Santo Tome was created in 1979.
• The Diocese of Puerto Iguazu was created in 1986.
• The Diocese of Obera was created in 2009.

Province of Mendoza

The province consists of the civil Provinces of Mendoza and Neuquen.  The Diocese of Mendoza was created in 1934 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mendoza in 1961.  Our Lady of Loreto Cathedral in Mendoza was built in 1934 and is known for the beauty of its stained glass windows.  As it only seats 500, plans are underway for a larger cathedral. 

From Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Neuquen was established in 1961.
• The Diocese of San Rafael was established in 1961. 

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and territorial prelatures.  Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop while a territorial prelature is led by a priest below the level of a bishop. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell (although some basilicas do not display them).  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.