Diocese of Laredo

Diocese of Laredo

Dioecesis Laredanus

Diócesis de Laredo
San Agustin Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country United States
TerritoryCounties of Dimmit, Jim Hogg, La Salle, Maverick, Webb, Zapata, and Zavala
Ecclesiastical provinceSan Antonio
Population
  •  
  • 222,250 (74.5%)
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedJuly 3, 2000
CathedralCathedral of San Agustin
Patron saintSaint Augustine of Hippo[1]
Current leadership
PopeLeo XIV
BishopJames Anthony Tamayo
Metropolitan ArchbishopGustavo Garcia-Siller
Vicar GeneralVery Rev. Anthony Mendoza
Map
Website
dioceseoflaredo.org

The Diocese of Laredo (Latin: Dioecesis Laredanus, Spanish: Diócesis de Laredo) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in South Texas in the United States. Founded in 2000, it is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio. The San Agustin Cathedral in Laredo is the mother church of the diocese. James Tamayo is the first and current bishop.

Statistics

The Diocese of Laredo covers an area of 10,905 sq. mi with 32 parishes and 17 missions. It includes Dimmit, Jim Hogg, La Salle, Maverick, Webb, Zapata, and Zavala Counties. [2]

As of 2018, the diocese had over 344,000 members with 48 diocesan priests, 14 religious priests and 33 permanent deacons.[3]

History

Name Changes

The Laredo area has been divided under several different Catholic jurisdictions since 1777. The Diocese of Linares o Nueva León was under Spanish, then Mexican control. All of the succeeding vicariates and dioceses were American.

1700 to 1900

During the 18th century, the Laredo area was part of a province of New Spain, a colony of the Spanish Empire. Five years after the founding of San Agustin de Laredo in 1755, its residents petitioned the Diocese of Guadalajara to provide them with a mission.[3]

In 1759, Bishop Francisco de San Buena Ventura of Guadalajara visited the town. The next year, he sent a resident priest to Laredo to construct a small mission chapel. In 1778, a stone church was erected to accommodate over two hundred families. In 1789, San Agustin parish was established in Laredo by the diocese.[3]

Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish was erected in 1898 in Encinal. The first English-speaking parish in Laredo, St. Peter, was established in 1897.[3]

1900 to present

Bishop Tamayo (2025)

During the Mexican Revolution between 1910 and 1920, many Mexican Catholics fled their country to avoid persecution. At one point, 14 Mexican archbishops and bishops were taking refuge in Laredo.[3] Franciscan priests from Mexico established Scotus College in Hebbronville in 1926.[7] The Laredo Pastoral Center was established in 1984 and the Western Vicariate in 1990.[8]

On July 3, 2000, the Diocese of Laredo was created by Pope John Paul II, with territory taken from the Diocese of Corpus Christi and the Archdiocese of San Antonio. The pope named Auxiliary Bishop James Tamayo of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston as the first bishop. [2]

In March 2016, Tamayo halted the construction of a Catholic student center at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) in Laredo. The Brothers of St. John, key sponsors of the $4 million-plus project, had held a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2013. Tamayo did not attend the groundbreaking.[9]

As of 2023, Tamayo is the current bishop of the diocese.

Sex abuse

Cyriacus Udegbulem, a priest in bad standing, had worked in Laredo Diocese as a hospital chaplain. On being informed of his background, the Diocese of Laredo dismissed Udegbulem as chaplain in 2001.[10] The alleged victim in New York then decided to press charges against him. After being extradited to New York, Udegbulem went on trial in 2003. The trial ended in June 2003 with a hung jury.[11]

In February 2019, Bishop Tamayo announced that there had been no accusations from the Laredo area against diocesan priests since the founding of the diocese in 2000.[12]

Bishops

James Anthony Tamayo (2000–present)

Parishes

Parishes of the Diocese of Laredo that came from the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Schools

High school

As of 2025, there is one high school in the diocese.

Saint Augustine High School – Laredo, diocesan (1927)[13]

Elementary and middle schools

As of 2025, there are four elementary and middle schools in the diocese:

Media

References

  1. ^ "Anniversary Prayer". 10 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Laredo (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  3. ^ a b c d e "History and Statistics". Diocese of Laredo. 2015-08-13. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  4. ^ "Monterrey (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  5. ^ "Galveston-Houston (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  6. ^ "Corpus Christi (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  7. ^ "Scotus College and Garza House". Texas Time Travel. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  8. ^ "Diocese of Laredo History & Statistics". Diocese of Laredo. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  9. ^ Philip Balli; Judith Rayo; Gabriel A. Trevino (March 20, 2016). "Bishop Tamayo halts construction of Catholic Student Center". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  10. ^ Newman, Andy (2002-06-22). "Priest Charged In Rape in 2000 In the Rectory". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  11. ^ "Priest's Rape Trial Ends With Hung Jury". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  12. ^ "Diocese of Laredo releases findings in sex abuse investigation". Laredo Morning Times. 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Catholic Schools – Diocese of Laredo". Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  14. ^ "La Fe Magazine – Diocese of Laredo". Retrieved 2025-03-12.

27°31′28″N 99°29′26″W / 27.52444°N 99.49056°W / 27.52444; -99.49056

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