Salvador Cristau Coll


Salvador Cristau Coll is a Spanish Monsignor, Archpriest and Vicar General who was appointed on 18 May 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Terrassa as the Titular Bishop of Aliezira. He was episcopally consecrated on 26 June 2010 at the Catedral-Basílica del Sant Esperit.

Early life and education

Salvador Cristau Coll was born on 15 April 1950 in Barcelona, Spain. He studied at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and received a Bachelor of Civil Law degree in 1972. Cristau entered the Seminario Mayor de Toledo and graduated from the Facultad de Teología del Norte de España with a Bachelor of Theology degree.

Parish assignments

On October 12, 1980, Cristau was ordained a priest in the Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo by Cardinal Marcelo González Martín for the Archdiocese of Toledo. From 1980 to 1981, he was the parochial vicar at the Parroquias Buen Pastor and from 1981 to 1984 at Santo Justo. From 1984 to 1985 Cristau was the Parochial Administrator of the Parroquial de Santa Leocadia.
On 14 January 1985, Cristau was incardinated as an Archdiocese of Barcelona priest and transferred as a parochial vicar to several churches.

Diocesan assignments

Between 1980 and 1985, Cristau served as the Judicial Vicar of the Toledo's diocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal.
Within the Barcelona archdiocese, Cristau has held several positions to include the Diocesan Curia, Archpriest of the Cathedral and Secretary Chancellor of the Curia.
In 2004, after the erection of the Terrassa diocese, Cristau was incardinated as a prelate and was appointed as the diocesan vicar general.

Episcopal career

On 18 May 2010, the Apostolic Nuncio in Spain announced the appointment of Cristau to the Conferencia Episcopal Española at 12 p.m. This followed the Pope Benedict's announcement at the Holy See earlier the same day. Cristau was ordained at Terrassa's cathedral on 26 June 2010. His Principal Consecrator was Bishop Josep Àngel Saiz Meneses who is the Bishop of Terrassa. Cristau's Principal Co-Consecrators were Archbishops Renzo Fratini, the Apostolic Nuncio to Spain, and Lluís Martínez Sistach who is the Archbishop of Barcelona.