Pope Francis Announces New Augustinian Bishop
Pope Francis has named another Augustinian Bishop, the Vatican announced on February 10. José Demetrio Jiménez Sanchez-Mariscal, OSA, of the Province of Spain and of the Vicariate of Argentina has been named by Pope Francis as Bishop of the Prelature of Cafayate, Argentina.
Bishop-elect Jiménez Sanchez-Mariscal was born on October 8, 1963 in Los Cerralbos, Spain. He entered the Order as a novice in the Province of Spain, September 5, 1980, made first profession of vows on September 6, 1981, and professed solemn vows on October 11, 1986.
He completed his studies in Philosophy and Theology at the Centro Teológico San Agustín, Los Negrales, Spain. He then completed his licenciate in Philosophy in Rome and resided at Collegio Santa Monica. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 23, 1988.
From 1989 to 1995 he worked at the Monastery of Santa Maria de La Vid and was professor of philosophy and treasurer of the community. He then served for six months in the Augustinian Community in Cafayate, Argentina. From 1996 until 1999 he served as parochial vicar at the Parish of San Manuel y San Benito in Madrid, Spain.
He then returned to Argentina, where he has served ever since. From 1999 to 2002 he served in the community of Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo, in Santa Maria, Catamarca, Argentina, as parochial vicar, community treasurer and also Secretary of the Vicariate in Argentina.
In 2002 he was elected as the Regional Superior of the Vicariate and resided in the Community of San Agustín in Buenos Aires and he was pastor of the parish of San Agustín. In 2010 he was assigned to the Formation House of the Vicariate, Comunidad Santa Monica in Buenos Aires, where he worked until 2013.
In 2013 he returned to the community of Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo, Santa Maria, Catamarca, Argentina, where he served in the parish as parochial vicar and as the Rector of Colegio San Agustín.
The Prior General, the Most Rev. Alejandro Moral Antón, O.S.A., leads the worldwide Augustinian Order. He congratulated the new bishop-elect:
On behalf of the entire Order, I wish to extend our sincere congratulations to Bishop-elect José Demetrio Jiménez Sanchez-Mariscal as he is being called to serve the Church in the episcopate, and let us all together offer to him our fraternal support and remembrance in our prayers for him as he undertakes this new ministry.
Congratulations Bishop-elect Jiménez Sanchez-Mariscal!
