LA PAZ, Mexico — Miguel Ángel Alba Díaz, the bishop emeritus who shepherded the Catholic community in Baja California Sur for years, died early Sunday, Feb. 2, church officials said. He was remembered as a steady pastor and a man of deep faith whose ministry left a lasting imprint on the region’s Catholic life.
His death came on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, a date the diocese described as spiritually significant. In a statement, church leaders said they were “grateful for a life dedicated to service” and invited the faithful to pray for his eternal rest, citing the Gospel promise: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Public vigils and Masses scheduled
The diocese released a detailed schedule of funeral rites and public vigils, inviting parishioners and the wider community to participate.
On Sunday at 5 p.m., church bells will ring across the diocese. The bishop’s body will then be received at the Santuario of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Paz, where an overnight vigil will begin. A series of Masses will be celebrated throughout Sunday evening and into Monday, led by local clergy and seminary representatives, with continuous opportunities for prayer.
Additional Masses and vigils are planned for Monday and Tuesday, culminating in a funeral Mass on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at La Paz Cathedral, following a procession from the shrine earlier that afternoon.
A life of pastoral service
Though specific biographical details were not immediately released, diocesan leaders emphasized Alba Díaz’s years of pastoral leadership and his role in strengthening parish life across the region. He continued to be a spiritual presence after retirement, they said, offering guidance and prayer to priests and laypeople alike.
A nine-day novena will begin Thursday evening at the cathedral, and parishes throughout the diocese have been asked to observe the novena simultaneously.
As preparations continue, church officials urged the faithful to remember the bishop not only in mourning but also in gratitude. “His legacy lives on in the communities he served,” the statement said.
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