The Diocese of Matamoros, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, on the border with the United States, announced two changes in its pastoral government: its name will change to the Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa and the Our Lady of Guadalupe parish will be its “Co-Cathedral.”
The modifications will not be immediate, as specified by the Mexican diocese in a statement shared todayand in the coming days the date will be announced on which the new name will come into force and in which the Mass will be celebrated with which the dignity of the Our Lady of Guadalupe parish will be elevated to Co-Cathedral.
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According to the statement, the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops approved the modifications, which had been requested by the Bishop of Matamoros, Mons. Eugenio Andrés Lira Rugarcía, considering that “Reynosa, which is part of the territory of the Diocese of Matamoros, is the municipality with the largest population in the state of Tamaulipas and its ecclesial life is very solid.”
The city of Reynosa is located in the northeast of the country, also in the state of Tamaulipas, and borders the American county of Hidalgo, Texas. It has a population of 704,767 inhabitants, according to data of 2020 of the Ministry of Economy of the Government of Mexico. Only in the pastoral area of Reynosa are there 34 iglesias Catholics.
The episcopal seat of what will be the Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa will remain in Matamoros, where the Cathedral of Our Lady of Refugio and the offices of the diocesan curia are located. However, “some liturgical celebrations and diocesan services will take place in the new Co-Cathedral,” which is located in downtown Reynosa.
The Royal Spanish Academy define co-cathedral as “a church with the dignity of a cathedral, united to that of the historical seat of the same diocese.”
With that of Reynosa, there will be five co-cathedrals in Mexico. Currently they are the Co-Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in Chilapa, in the Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, Guerrero; the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Chetumal, of the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal, Quintana Roo; the Co-Cathedral of San Pedro in Madera, in the Diocese of Cuauhtémoc-Madera, Chihuahua; and the Co-Cathedral of the Dulce Nombre de María in Sisoguichi, in the Diocese of Tarahumara, also in Chihuahua.
Father José Luis Cerra Luna, parish priest of Our Lady of Guadalupe, shared a message on Facebook, expressing his joy at the Vatican’s decision.
“God calls us to feel even more linked to our Bishop, Mons. Eugenio Andrés Lira Rugarcía, but also to the entire diocesan community. Being a Co-Cathedral is a vocation to unity, not only within our Parish, but for the entire Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa,” he expressed.
Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa
According to the website of the still Diocese of Matamoros, the pastoral territory covers the municipalities of Matamoros, Reynosa, Valle Hermoso, Río Bravo, Camargo, Díaz Ordaz, San Fernando and Méndez, all in the north of Tamaulipas.
The diocesan territory has an area of 19,457.63 km², with a population of around 1.5 million.
It has 76 religious temples and a presbytery made up of 125 diocesan priests and various religious communities, lay organizations, educational institutions and social works.
The Diocese of Matamoros was created by Pope Pius XII on February 16, 1958 and is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Monterrey.
Diego López Colin
I am a graduate of Journalism at the Carlos Septién García School with experience in religious institutional communication. Since 2016 he has written for digital media and, since 2018, I have reported the most important news about Catholic events in Mexico for the EWTN news channel. He has been ACI Prensa correspondent in Mexico since 2023.