Roman Catholic Diocese of Balsas

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Balsas (Latin: Dioecesis Balsensis) is a diocese located in the city of Balsas in the ecclesiastical province of São Luís do Maranhão in Brazil.

Diocese of Balsas Dioecesis Balsensis
Location
Country	Brazil
Ecclesiastical province	São Luís do Maranhão
Statistics
Area	66,025 km2 (25,492 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2006) 237,944 172,710 (72.6%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	20 December 1954 (70 years ago)
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Valentim Fagundes de Meneses, M.S.C.
Metropolitan Archbishop	José Belisário da Silva, O.F.M.

History

• 20 December 1954: Established as Territorial Prelature of Santo Antônio de Balsas from the Diocese of Caxias do Maranhão^[1]
• 26 October 1981: Promoted as Diocese of Balsas^[2]

Bishops

Prelates of Santo Antônio de Balsas

• Diego Parodi, M.C.C.I. (1959.05.09 – 1966)
• Rino Carlesi, M.C.C.I. (1967.01.12^[3] 1981.10.25)^[2]

Bishops of Balsas

• Rino Carlesi, M.C.C.I. (1981.10.25^[2] – 1998.04.15)
• Gianfranco Masserdotti, M.C.C.I. (1998.04.15 – 2006.09.17)
  • Coadjutor bishop 1995–1998
• Enemésio Ângelo Lazzaris, F.D.P. (2007.12.12 – 2020.02.02)
• Valentim Fagundes de Meneses, M.S.C. (2020.07.29 – present)

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• Sebastião Bandeira Coêlho, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Manaus, Amazonas in 2004