Country United States Parishes 45 | Ecclesiastical province Santa Fe | |
 | ||
Territory 10 counties across Southern New Mexico Area 44,483 sq mi (115,210 km) Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2010)
527,000
139,322 (26.4%) | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces (Latin: Dioecesis Las Cruces) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States, comprising the 10 southern counties in the state of New Mexico: Hidalgo, Grant, Luna, Sierra, Doña Ana, Otero, Lincoln, Chaves, Eddy, and Lea. It is led by a prelate bishop which serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the City of Las Cruces. Its congregants are overwhelmingly Hispanic, mostly Mexican in descent. The diocese is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
Contents
History
The See of Las Cruces was canonically erected by Pope John Paul II on August 17, 1982. Its territory was taken from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the Diocese of El Paso.
Ordinaries
The list of bishops of the diocese and their years of service:
- Ricardo Ramirez, CSB (1982—2013)
- Oscar Cantú (2013—Present)