Country Paraguay Denomination Catholic Church Area 125,000 km² | Parishes 5 Rite Roman Rite | |
Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2010)
83,000
38,700 (46.6%) Established 14 July 1950 (66 years ago) | ||
The Vicariate Apostolic of Pilcomayo (Latin: Apostolicus Vicariatus Pilcomayoënsis) is a Latin pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Paraguay.
Contents
It is exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the Holy See and its missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, not part of any ecclesiastical province.
Its cathedral episcopal see is the (Marian) Catedral Santa María, in Mariscal Estigarribia an area around national capital Asunción, Boquerón department.
Statistics
As per 2014, it pastorally cared for 41,400 Catholics (46.5% of 89,000 total) on 125,000 km² in 6 parishes and 3 missions with 11 priests (3 diocesan, 8 religious), 32 lay religious (12 brothers, 20 sisters) and 4 seminarians.
History
On 14 July 1950, Pope Pius XII established the Apostolic Prefecture of Pilcomayo, on Andean territory named after the Pilcomayo River, split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Camiri.
It lost territory on 1 May 1929 with the creation of the Diocese of Concepción y Chaco.
Pope Pius XII elevated the prefecture to Apostolic Vicariate of Pilcomayo on 14 July 1950, thus entitling it to a titular bishop.
It lost territory again on 28 June 1980 when the Diocese of Benjamín Aceval was created.
Ordinaries
(all Roman Rite, so far European missionary members of a Latin congregation)