91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ

Monsignor Leonidas Proaño (1910-1988), the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Riobamba, through his pastoral and evangelization practice of 31 years (1954-1985), contributed to the development of critical thinking and social awareness, to the recognition of, and respect for, diversity on the basis of solidarity with the poorest in the Province of Chimborazo, Ecuador and in Latin America. Prophet and pastor, Bishop Proaño strengthened community life. Inspired by the Gospel of Jesus and the Liberation Theology movement, Bishop Proaño came to a better understanding of the indigenous and mestizo people: he lived his Christian commitment by using a new pedagogical method of rapprochement, insertion, dialogue and participatory action in social problems and national and international politics.

The Monseñor Leonidas Proaño Documentary Fonds is comprised of files produced by its owner and other authors from 1954 until 1988. The great pastor wanted his people to be educated in reality and theological reflection rooted in concrete historical-social issues. The initiative to create the Fonds materialized in 1990. At first it was called the "Agustín Bravo Muñoz" Diocesan Documentary Fonds, as it included both the Diocesan Historical Archive, the writings and documents of Monsignor Proaño, the old Library of the Clergy, as well as the documents and books of the Seminario Menor La Dolorosa. In 1991, the provincial holdings, of a historical and ecclesiastical nature, were separated, and the organization and systematisation of the Monsignor Proaño Fonds, which had been left in a worrying condition, were completed, after a transfer of folders and books from Riobamba to San Antonio de Ibarra and again to the Riobamba Curia.

The Monseñor Leonidas Proaño Documentary Fonds contains documents of his administration and ideology as bishop of Riobamba between 1954 and 1985, up to the year of his death in 1988. It was organized during the administration of Monsignor Víctor Corral. The method adopted was that of a basic index, to which various subcategories were added according to the documentation found, which includes bound, printed, typed documents, manuscripts, loose pages and notebooks, bearing the subject code and the inventory number by group of documents. The Fonds has been organised (in 50 boxes) and catalogued and has more than 2,444 records entered into a database.