The Rt Revd Ramón Ovalle has been elected as the new Primate (Obispo Primado) of the Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America (IARCA).
The election took place during IARCA’s Eighth Provincial Synod, held at the church of St John the Evangelist in the Anglican Diocese of El Salvador, from April 24–26. This year’s synod theme was ‘Let us rise up and build’, based on Nehemiah 2:18.
The Rt Revd Ramón Ovalle is currently the Bishop of Guatemala and Interim Bishop of Panama, and will be installed as Primate later this year, succeeding the current Primate, the Most Revd Juan David Alvarado Melgar. He was present at the Synod, along with the Rt Revd Orlando Gomez (Bishop of the Diocese of Costa Rica). The Rt Revd Harold Dixon (Bishop of the Diocese of Nicaragua) was unable to attend, but representatives from the Diocese were present.
Speaking about his appointment, Bishop Ramón shared: ‘It is with gratitude and humility that I accept my election atthe Eighth Provincial Synod to serve as Primate of the Anglican Church of the Central American Region. I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me, and I embrace this responsibility with a firm commitment to continue advancing the mission of the church in our region, strengthening its living witness of faith, hope and service.
‘This election comes at a significant moment to renew our commitment to building our Province in a spirit of communion, unity and shared responsibility, accompanying our dioceses in both their challenges and opportunities.
‘Likewise, I reaffirm my commitment faithfully to represent our church within the Anglican Communion, contributing from our Central American context to the common journey of the universal Church.’
Speaking about the Synod, the current Primate of IARCA, the Most Revd David Alvarado, remarked: ‘As Primate of IARCA, it was personally a time of great learning and strength in my ministry, and I am ready to continue walking with the IARCA Church, in support of the next Primate.
‘It was a joy to share in the election of the new Primate for the next four years [the Rt Revd Ramón Ovalle, Diocesan Bishop of Guatemala], who assumes this calling with faith, leadership and hope. We ask for your prayers for the bishop and his ministry as Primate, and I offer my full support to that ministry.
‘We continue walking together, and guided by the Holy Spirit, we build the Church and the community.’
The Deputy Secretary General, the Rt Revd Dr Jo Wells, visits the Province
The Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Rt Revd Dr Jo Wells, was a special guest at the Provincial Synod, where she met with bishops, clergy and delegates from the five dioceses.
Speaking to the Synod on April 24, Bishop Jo offered a perspective on IARCA as a young and youthful church, based on the experience of the early Church in Acts of the Apostles. She also shared with them the significance of their place within the wider Anglican family, with news from across the Anglican Communion.
She also addressed the 7th IARCA Women’s Assembly (VII Asamblea de Mujeres de IARCA), which gathered women from across the five dioceses and countries – both lay and ordained – who serve the church in pastoral ministry, poverty relief, social enterprise or education. The theme explored Proverbs 31: ‘The woman, upheld by God, fulfils her purpose’.
Bishop Jo spoke about the way Jesus engaged women in the gospels, most significantly in appearing to Mary Magdalene at the resurrection and entrusting her to be ‘the apostle to the apostles’. She also celebrated the recent appointment of the first woman as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
Addressing the Women’s Assembly, Bishop Jo also spoke of her experience travelling around the worldwide Anglican Communion, seeing women as figures of hope in their communities, displaying immense courage in their witness, leadership and dedication to protecting and nurturing the vulnerable.
As a former Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the first female Dean of Clare College in Cambridge, and the current Bishop for Episcopal Ministry and Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Jo is well placed to speak with knowledge and enthusiasm on both Anglican Communion affairs and women’s leadership in the church. Pope Frances asked her to address his council of nine cardinals on this topic back in February 2024, when preparing for the Synod on Synodality in Rome.
During the course of the meeting, a new women’s board of directors was appointed, featuring representatives from all five dioceses. It will serve the Assembly for the next four years.
Primate of IARCA, the Most Revd David Alvarado, shared his appreciation for Bishop Jo’s presence, saying: ‘For IARCA, it has been a privilege to have the presence and support at this Synod of the Right Reverend Bishop Jo Wells… [Her] words and prayers have been a great source of strength to me, as I would also say to my brother bishops, the clergy and the laity participating in this meeting.’
Visits to holy sites and missions of the province
As part of her provincial visit, Bishop Jo is scheduled to visit various holy sites in the region on April 27. These will include a memorial at the University of Central America, erected following the massacre by the Salvadoran Army of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her 16-year-old daughter in 1989.
The group will also visit La Divina Providencia Hospital, which was founded by four Carmelite Missionary Nuns of Saint Teresa in 1903 and remains one of the only non-governmental institutions in the region to offer palliative care free of charge.
A visit will also be made to the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador, which contains the Crypt of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero — a significant advocate for peace in El Salvador during the turbulent civil conflict of the 1970s, who was assassinated in 1980 in the chapel at La Divina Providencia Hospital. The hospital now contains the Monsignor Romero Historic Centre, in memory of the patron saint of El Salvador and of persecuted Christians.
Speaking about the provincial visit, Bishop Jo Wells said, ‘It has been heartening to spend time with sisters and brothers in IARCA. To learn more of their respective contexts, challenges and opportunities has been truly inspiring as they gathered from across their five nations. It was an honour to witness the election of Bishop Ramón as the next Primate. Meanwhile, I was moved to tears meeting with some of the diocesan groups, to glimpse their faith and faithfulness in the midst of hardship. It was very striking to note the role played by women in these situations: their leadership (which is nearly all unpaid), their openness and transparency, and their costly resilience and perseverance. I shall be carrying all the saints from this region on my heart as I depart.’
About Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America (IARCA)
The province of IARCA encompasses five dioceses and five countries, from Guatemala to Panama, and has a population of approximately 30,100,000. Due to the geography of the province, the region faces many environmental challenges, including severe droughts and flooding, as well as political instability and food insecurity. Poverty and infrastructure challenges are also prevalent across much of the province. Alongside disaster preparedness and environmental reform, one of the province’s ministry priorities is to strengthen its leadership, including the capacity of women leaders.