# Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce

The Diocese of Ponce (Latin: Dioecesis Poncensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States and consists of the southern part of the island of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. The diocese is led by a prelate bishop who pastors the mother church in the City of Ponce, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Its current bishop is S.E.R. Mons. Rubén Antonio González Medina, C.M.F. Its jurisdiction includes the municipalities of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Guánica, Guayanilla, Yauco, Peñuelas, Ponce, Juana Díaz, Villalba, Coamo, Santa Isabel, Salinas, Guayama, Arroyo, and Patillas.

## History

In 1978, Bishop Fremiot Torres Oliver acquired a large property in the Rio Chiquito sector of Barrio Portugués where the Diocese is currently (2019) located.

### Spanish colonial system

Under the Spanish colonial system (1692–1898) the Diocese of Ponce operated and its bishop in 1877 was Juan Puig. From 25 October 1892 to 1897, the bishop was Lorenzo Roura y Bayer.
Other Padres Paules bishops at the Cathedral were:
* Lorenzo Roura y Bayer (25 October 1892 – 1897)
* Leonardo G. Villanueva (1897–1898)
* Sturnino Janices (1997–1898)
* Francisco Vicario (1898–1905)
* Luis Vega (1905–1911)
* Cipariano Peña (1911–1919)
* Florencio Garcia (1919–1927)
* Manuel Peña (1927–1931)
* Gonzalo de la Guerra (1931–1937)
* Deogracias Morondo (1937–1940)
* Toribio Marijuan (1940–1945)
* Mariano Bravo (1945–1948)
* Epifanio Garcia (1948–1957)
* Jose Carrasco (1957)
From 1970 on, Padres Paules left Ponce and the Cathedral was then run by the Diocese of Ponce directly.

### Commonwealth

The See of Ponce was canonically erected on 21 November 1924, and is a suffragan diocese of the Metropolitan Province of San Juan de Puerto Rico.

## San Juan Archdiocese bankruptcy

On 7 September 2018, Judge Edward Godoy ruled that the bankruptcy filed by the Archdiocese of San Juan would also apply to every Catholic diocese in Puerto Rico, including Ponce, and that all would now have their assets protected under Chapter 11.

## Bishops
### Bishops of Ponce

* Edwin Byrne (1925–1929), appointed Bishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico
* Aloysius Joseph Willinger (1929–1946), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Monterey-Fresno
* James Edward McManus (1947–1963), resigned
* Luis Aponte Martinez (1963–1964), appointed Archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico
* Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver (1964–2000), retired
* Ricardo Antonio Suriñach Carreras (2000–2003), retired
* Félix Lázaro Martínez (2003–2015), retired
* Ruben Antonio Gonzalez Medina, C.M.F. (2015–present)

### Coadjutor bishops

* Luis Aponte Martinez (1963–1963)
* Félix Lázaro Martinez (2002–2003)

### Auxiliary bishops

* Luis Aponte Martinez (1960–1963), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Ponce
* Ricardo Antonio Suriñach Carreras (1975–2000), appointed Bishop of Ponce

## Parish churches

Parish churches listed by founding dates:
* 1616 – Iglesia San Blas de Illescas – Coamo
* 1692 – Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe – Ponce
* 1736 – San Antonio de Padua – Guayama
* 1756 – Ntra. Sra. del Rosario – Yauco
* 1793 – San José – Peñuelas
* 1798 – Iglesia San Ramón Nonato – Juana Díaz
* 1811 – Inmaculado Corazón de María – Patillas
* 1815 – San Joaquín y Santa Ana – Adjuntas
* 1840 – Inmaculada Concepción – Guayanilla
* 1854 – Ntra. Sra. de Monserrate – Salinas
* 1854 – Santiago Apóstol – Santa Isabel
* 1855 – Ntra. Sra. del Carmen – Arroyo
* 1883 – Ntra. Sra. de Monserrate – Jayuya
* 1883 – Ntra. Sra. del Carmen – Playa (Ponce)
* 1888 – San Antonio Abad – Guánica
* 1917 – Ntra. Sra. del Carmen – Villalba
* 1928 – Ntra. Sra. de la Medalla Milagrosa – Ponce
* 1928 – Ntra. Sra. de la Merced – Ponce
* 1930 – Santa Teresita – Ponce
* 1946 – Sagrado Corazón – Aguirre
* 1948 – San Conrado – Ponce
* 1952 – Santa María Reina – Ponce
* 1959 – Sagrado Corazón de Jesús – Tallaboa (Peñuelas)
* 1962 – Ntra. Sra. de la Divina Providencia – Villalba
* 1963 – Sagrado Corazón – Ensenada (Guánica)
* 1964 – San Vicente de Paúl – Ponce
* 1964 – San Judas Tadeo – Ponce
* 1964 – Cristo Rey – Ponce
* 1965 – San José – Ponce
* 1967 – La Resurrección – Ponce
* 1968 – Buen Pastor – Ponce
* 1969 – San Martín de Porres – Yauco
* 1969 – Corazón de Jesús – Ponce
* 1969 – Ntra. Sra. de la Medalla Milagrosa – Castañer (Adjuntas)
* 1971 – Santísima Trinidad – Ponce
* 1973 – Ntra. Sra. del Carmen – Coto Laurel (Ponce)
* 1979 – San José Obrero – Ponce
* 1984 – Ntra. Sra. de Lourdes – Aguilita (Juana Díaz)
* 1984 – Santa Teresita – Arús (Juana Díaz)
* 1986 – Santísimo Sacramento – Ponce
* 2001 – Santo Domingo de Guzmán – Yauco
* 2001 – San Antonio de Padua – Coamo
* 2005 – Santos Apóstoles Pedro y Pablo – Guayama