Pope Leo XIV has created a new episcopal headquarters, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), which will take the name of Diocese of Stella Maris and whose first elected bishop is Mons. Manuel Antonio Ruiz.
Until now, the elected prelate was pastor of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in the metropolitan archdiocese, the first of those erected in America (1511), which since 1546 was elevated to Archdiocese.
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The new ecclesiastical constituency has an area of almost 600 square kilometers, with a population close to 1.3 million inhabitants, of which almost one million are Catholics.
The Diocese of Stella Maris is structured in 64 parishes and will have 40 diocesan priests, 55 religious presbyters, 39 permanent deacons, 12 seminarists, the same number of professors and 83 nuns.
The municipalities that are part of the new diocese are Santo Domingo Este (where the episcopal headquarters), San Antonio de Guerra and Boca Chica will be. The cathedral will be the current Stella Maris parish.
In this way, the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo reduces its extension to 3,406 square kilometers and will ensure almost three million souls, of which 2.5 are Catholics.
It will now have 156 parishes, 150 diocesan priests, 166 religious presbyters, 132 permanent deacons, 29 seminarists, 37 professors and 448 nuns.
In addition to the National District, Santo Domingo Norte and West, the Metropolitan Archdiocese corresponds to the municipalities of Los Alcarrizos, Pedro Brand, Monte Plata, Bayaguana, Yamasá, Peralvillo and Sabana Grande de Boyá.
In addition to the new diocese, those of Baní, Our Lady of Altagracia in Higüey, Barahona, San Juan de la Maguana and San Pedro de Macorís, are also suffragan.
Who is the first bishop of the Diocese of Stella Maris?
The elected bishop of Stella Maris, Mons. Manuel Antonio Ruíz de la Rosa, was born on August 27, 1965 and, after studying drawing at the National School of Fine Arts, graduated in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Master, and in theology by the Santo Tomás de Aquino Seminary. The doctorate in Humanities obtained it at the University of Seville (Spain).
Ordered presbyter on July 10, 1993, he was incardinated in the metropolitan archdiocese of Santo Domingo, where he has been a parish vicar of San Antonio de Padua, trainer of the Santo Tomás de Aquinas Seminary and director of the clergy pastoral. He also exercised his pastoral work as pastor of Santa Cecilia and San Juan Bautista de la Salle.
In 2009 he assumed as executive secretary of the Pastoral of the Life of the Dominican Episcopal Conference. Later, he was director of the San Juan Bautista de la Salle Institute and was in charge of linking between the Executive Power and the Dominican Episcopal Conference between 2013 and 2014. He has also directed the Archdiocesan Radio ABC and FM life.
He has been in its current parish destination since 2020, a task that has compatible with representing the Dominican Episcopal Conference before the Economic and Social Council, the Dominican Government Advisory Body. He has also been in charge of the Executive Secretariat of the Pastoral of the Life of the Dominican Episcopal Conference and has been General Director of Hogar Vida y Esperanza, Movearte and Muvarte.
Nicolás de Cárdenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish and journalist’s husband and father with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specialized in socio -political and religious information. I have worked more than 10 years in defense of human rights and I have accreditations in journalism and comprehensive communication. Since July 2022, I am a correspondent for ACI Press and Ewtn News in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.