Bishop Cristián Castro Toovey

Bishop Cristian Castro Toovey, Bishop of Santa Maria de los Angeles, Chile, was born on 25 November 1969 in Santiago de Chile. Source fact profile dates: birth 25-11-1969; priestly ordination 24-05-1997; episcopal ordination 13-08-2021. After attending Colegio San Gaspar of the Missionary Fathers of the Precious Blood, he entered the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago in March 1989. He was ordained deacon on 14 August 1996 and priest on 24 May 1997 by Cardinal Carlos Oviedo Cavada, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile. He developed his pastoral ministry in the parish of Santo Tomas Moro in the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, first as vicar from 1997 to 1999, then as parish administrator from 1999 to 2001, and finally as parish priest from 2001 to 2004. From 2004 to 2013 he was parish priest of San Alberto de Sicilia in the northern zone of the archdiocese. He was also dean on two occasions, from 2001 to 2003 and from 2009 to 2011. He was a member of the Clergy Department from 2008 to 2011 and diocesan delegate to the Pastoral Office of Complaints of the Archbishopric of Santiago de Chile from 2011 to 2012. From 2013 to June 2014 he was parish priest of Santa Ines and general chaplain of the Duoc UC Professional Institute. In June 2014 he was appointed rector of the Pontifical Major Seminary of the Holy Guardian Angels, a role he held for seven years. From June 2018 to August 2019 he was episcopal vicar for the clergy of the archdiocese of Santiago. In December 2019 he was appointed canon of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Santiago. On 22 June 2021 Pope Francis appointed him titular bishop of Tigava and auxiliary bishop of Santiago, and he received episcopal ordination on 13 August of the same year from Cardinal Celestino Aos, Archbishop of Santiago. His episcopal motto is "Consolad, consolad a mi pueblo". In 2022 and 2023 he served as episcopal vicar of the eastern zone of Santiago. He later served as episcopal vicar of the northern zone of Santiago and as parish priest of La Estampa de Nuestra Senora del Carmen in Independencia. On 23 March 2024 Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of Santa Maria de los Angeles in the Province of Biobio, and he took possession of the local Church on Saturday, 25 May of the same year.