Suffragan diocese Río Gallegos, Argentina

Diocese of Río Gallegos

Rivogallaecen(sis)

Latin Church

Latin rite diocese established by Pope John XXIII in 1961, covering Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego and the South Atlantic territories. It is a suffragan see of Bahia Blanca and is led by Bishop Ignacio Damian Medina, appointed in 2023.

On the map

The address the register holds for Cathedral of Our Lady of Lujan, in Río Gallegos, Argentina.

Every see on one map: browse the dioceses. Churches with recorded hours: find Mass times.

Established: 1961
Catholics: 240,000
Priests: 24
Territory: 265,614 km²

Parishes and churches

32 listed churches in our records. Open a parish for Mass times, confession, directions and sources where recorded.

This is our recorded coverage, not an official diocesan parish count. Confirm service times with the parish before travelling.

The bishop

Bishop: Ignacio Damian Medina
Born: 17 March 1967
Birthplace: Tandil

Explore the ministry of the bishop.

The cathedral

Cathedral of Our Lady of Lujan stands in Río Gallegos, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

This see in the wire

Filed by the see itself

Published on the see's own news feed. A diocese reports on the whole Church, so these are often about somewhere else.

Pope Leo XIV to visit Uruguay, Argentina, Peru
Pope Leo XIV will visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru during his sixth apostolic journey, according to the Holy See press office. The official schedule for the trip was released on September 21, 2026. In Argentina, the Pope is scheduled to arrive at the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery international airport in Buenos Aires at 16:30 on Sunday, November 8. Following his arrival, he will attend an official welcome and visit the Monumento al General at 17:00. His itinerary in Argentina continues through November 11.

Sep 22, 2026 · Vatican · 2 sources

2 stories in the wire either name this see or come from its own feed. Read the wire.

The see

Rank: Suffragan diocese
Tradition: Latin Church
Erected: 10 April 1961
Latin: Rivogallaecen(sis)
Patron: Saint John Bosco
Annuario code: 001002756

The see in figures

Catholics: 240,000
Population: 303,000
Catholic shareof the people living within its bounds: 79.2%
Priests: 24
Catholics per priest: 10,000
Extent: 265,614 km²
Catholics per km²: 0.9

Figures from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.

The province of Bahia Blanca

A suffragan of Archdiocese of Bahia Blanca.

The sees of this province:

Diocese of Alto Valle del Río NegroAlto Valle del Río Negro
Diocese of San Carlos de BarilocheSan Carlos de Bariloche

On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.

Sees near here

Diocese of Punta ArenasPunta Arenas, Chile206 km
Diocese of Comodoro RivadaviaComodoro Rivadavia653 km
Apostolic Prefecture of Falkland Islands o MalvinasFalkland Islands o Malvinas, Falkland Islands666 km
Diocese of AysénAysén, Chile710 km
Diocese of RawsonRawson975 km
Diocese of EsquelEsquel982 km
Diocese of San Carlos de AncudSan Carlos de Ancud, Chile1140 km
Archdiocese of Puerto MonttPuerto Montt, Chile1164 km

Measured see to see, from the point each record holds. On how the Church is ordered, see the diocese.

Sources

The see's own website · Wikipedia

Compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. Corrections: [email protected].