Born 13-3-1947 in Estollo, La Rioja, Spain. Bishop prelate of Chota, Cajamarca, Peru Ordianed 12-12-2005 Juan XXIII, 287 Código Postal 22 Chota (Cajamarca) Perú

FORMATION

Bishop Fortunato was born in Estollo, La Rioja, Spain on the 13 of March, 1947. He completed his studies of theology in the Pontifical University of Salamanca and was sent by his superiors to the mission of Chota where he exercised his ministry from 1972 to 1978.

ASSIGNMENTS

He returned to Spain to dedicate himself to the formation of religious. In 1984, he returned to Peru to engage in the same ministry for three years. From 1987 to 2005, he was elected to serve in various posts of the provincial government of the Province of St. Joseph. At the end of this long period, he was named pastor of Berceo, Estollo, and San Andrés del Valle, parishes attended by the religious of the Monastery of Yuso. On the 15th of October, he was appointed bishop of the Prelacy of Chota. His episcopal ordination at the hands of Bishop Emiliano Antonio Cisneros took place in Chota on the 12 of December of 2005.

DIOCESE

The territory of the Prelacy of Chota was established by Pope John XIII on the 7th of April of 1963. It is located in the center of the Region of Cajamarca, and includes the provinces of Chota and Cutervo. It occupies 6,800 square kilometers, 2 of the Peruvian Andes and has a population of approximately 360, 000 inhabitants. Means of communication have increased considerably in recent years but are still quite inadequate.

The Holy See commended the Prelacy of Chota to the Province of St. Joseph of the Order of Augustinian Recollects from its inception. The five bishops who have presided over the Prelacy have all been Augustinian Recollects. At the time of its beginnings there were 19 priests, 3 of whom were of the secular clergy.

At present time, there are 27 diocesan priests, 3 Augustinian Recollects and one cleric of San Viator. There are also 6 deacons and 7 communities of women religious including a convent of cloistered nuns, the religious of Santa Clara. The pastoral labor is greatly enhanced by the work of the catechists who have been consistently formed since 1973. A key moment in the pastoral efforts was the cursillo “Por un mundo mejor” which took place in 1975 and became actualized in 1998. Today, there are around 2000 catechists. An abundance of vocations, priestly and religious, have emerged especially from families of the catechists.