Bishop of Cancún-Chetumal Visits 73 of 78 Parishes in First Eight Months

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Eight months after taking charge of the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal, Bishop Salvador González Morales has visited 73 of the 78 parishes that make up the ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

The tour has allowed him to identify gaps in religious formation and pastoral care, particularly in the communities of the Maya Zone, the bishop said.

González Morales explained that during his first months he has sought to learn the conditions in which priests work and the character of the diocese’s different regions, from island and rural communities to the cities of Cancún and Chetumal.

He said that once he completes his first year in the diocese he will begin making decisions on possible reassignments and changes at some parishes.

Training for priests and lay leaders

Among the main needs he identified is the formation of pastoral agents, both priests and laypeople. He has already sent one priest to study in Rome and another to Mexico City.

The bishop added that he will also try to bring workshops and training programs closer to Maya Zone communities, where he believes there is a smaller priestly presence and a distance from activities that tend to be concentrated in Cancún and Chetumal.

Other faiths and tourism ministry

Asked how the Catholic community is responding to the growth of other religious groups, González Morales said he does not yet have enough information to determine whether the number of faithful is declining, because he has no earlier assessment to compare against.

He acknowledged, however, that areas with less pastoral attention can become places where other religious groups expand their presence.

The bishop also called for strengthening ministry to tourists, arguing that Cancún and other Quintana Roo destinations receive visitors from across Mexico and abroad, so the Church should coordinate existing initiatives and offer suitable spaces for the religious needs of those who arrive temporarily.

He cited work in semi-public chapels, attention to married couples and the promotion of pilgrimage sites, including the Sanctuary of Our Lady Undoer of Knots and a project linked to Padre Pio following the arrival of his relics.

Cathedral construction on track

On construction of the cathedral, the bishop said the goal is to complete the structural shell before Christmas this year and that donations continue to arrive.

Once that stage is finished, the next objective would be the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, or perpetual adoration, which could be completed in the first months of 2027.