Bishop Mario Espinosa Contreras

Bishop Mario Espinosa Contreras, Bishop of Mazatlán, was born on November 22, 1949, in Tepic, in the Diocese of Tepic. He completed his philosophical studies at the seminary of Tepic and his theological studies at the seminaries of Montezuma and Tula, and completed his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining a licentiate in spiritual theology. He was ordained a priest for Tepic on July 14, 1973. He exercised his priestly ministry chiefly in priestly formation, holding successive offices in the pre-seminary and the seminary of his diocese as spiritual director, professor of theology and of spirituality, and director of the propaedeutic course. He also served as parochial vicar and chaplain in various communities. He subsequently worked in Mexico City at the Pontifical University of Mexico as professor of spirituality and rector of the John XXIII priests' residence. On April 2, 1996, he was appointed Bishop of Tehuacán. He received episcopal ordination on May 11, 1996, with Adolfo Antonio Suárez Rivera as principal consecrator and Norberto Rivera Carrera and Alfonso Humberto Robles Cota as co-consecrators. On March 3, 2005, he was appointed Bishop of Mazatlán.