Bishop of Machala
Vicente Horacio Saeteros Sierra was born on April 6, 1968, in Santa Ana, in the Archdiocese of Portoviejo. He entered the Major Seminary of Portoviejo, where he pursued studies in philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest on March 25, 2000, and incardinated into the same Archdiocese. He obtained a Licentiate in Church History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He has held the following positions: parish priest of various parishes; professor, formator, and rector of the Archdiocesan Seminary; Episcopal Vicar for the North-Chone zone; and Vicar General. On May 16, 2020, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Rusuccuru and Auxiliary Bishop of Portoviejo, receiving episcopal ordination on August 15 of that same year. Vicente Saeteros Sierra was born in Santa Ana, in the province of Manabí, on April 6, 1968; his parents, Antonio Feresides Saeteros and Gladis Dioselina Sierra, were natives of Manabí. He is the sixth of eight siblings. He completed his primary education at the "9 de Octubre" school in Santa Ana. For his secondary education, he spent the first three years at the "Albertina Rivas Medina" school in Santa Ana and the final three years at the "Horacio Hidrovo Velásquez" National Night School. In 1993, he entered the San Pedro Major Seminary in Portoviejo, where he undertook his philosophical and theological studies alongside 22 other young men—the first group to enter this house of formation. He was ordained a deacon in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Portoviejo by the Auxiliary Bishop of Portoviejo, Msgr. Lorenzo Voltolini, on June 4, 1999. He was ordained a priest in the same Cathedral on March 25, 2000, by Archbishop José Mario Ruiz Navas, during the Jubilee Year of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Throughout his priestly life, Msgr. Saeteros has held various pastoral roles, the first being parish priest of "La Encarnación" parish in Jipijapa (2000–2001). It is worth noting that Msgr. Saeteros pursued specialized studies in Rome, Italy, at the Pontifical Gregorian University (2001–2004), obtaining a Licentiate in Church History. He served as a formator and professor at the San Pedro Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Portoviejo (2004–2009) and as parish priest of the "Santo Rostro de Jesús" parish (2006–2009). Furthermore, he was Rector of the San Pedro Major Seminary in Portoviejo (2010–2012), subsequently serving as parish priest of the "San Cayetano" parish in Chone (2013–2018), and acting as the person in charge and animator of Community Pastoral Care and Mass-Gathering Pastoral Care (2004–2018). In late 2018, Msgr. Eduardo Castillo—then Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Portoviejo—appointed him Vicar General of the Archdiocese; in early 2019, he was appointed parish priest of the Portoviejo Metropolitan Cathedral ("Jesus the Good Shepherd"). On May 16, 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Titular Bishop of Rusuccuru and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Portoviejo. On September 27, 2022, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Machala. He took canonical possession of the see on November 19 of the same year during a ceremony at the Machala Cathedral. Vicente Horacio Saeteros Sierra was born in Santa Ana, in the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portoviejo, on April 6, 1968. He entered the Major Seminary of Portoviejo, where he pursued studies in Philosophy and Theology. He was ordained a priest on March 25, 2000, and incardinated into the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portoviejo. He obtained a Licentiate in Church History from the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome). He has held the following positions: parish priest of various parishes; professor, formator, and rector of the archdiocesan seminary; and Episcopal Vicar for the North-Chone zone. He is currently Vicar General and Parish Priest of the Cathedral.