Archdiocese of Paraíba
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paraíba is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese, named after the city of João Pessoa, which used to be named Paraíba, in southeastern Brazil.
Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is a minor basilica, the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows, in the city of João Pessoa, the state capital.
History
- Established on April 27, 1892 as Diocese of Paraiba, on territory split off from the then Diocese of Olinda
- Lost territory on 1909.12.29 to establish the then Diocese of Natal
- Promoted on February 6, 1914 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Paraíba, having lost territory to establish its senior suffragan, the Diocese of Cajazeiras
- Lost territory twice again to establish more suffragan sees: on 1949.05.14 the Diocese of Campina Grande and on 1980.10.11 the Diocese of Guarabira.
Statistics
As per 2014, it pastorally served 1,288,000 Catholics on 6,703 km² in 89 parishes and 8 missions with 151 priests, 37 deacons, 259 lay religious and 45 seminarians.Ecclesiastical province
Its Suffragan sees are:- Roman Catholic Diocese of Cajazeiras, a daughter
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Campina Grande, a daughter
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarabira, youngest daughter
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Patos
Bishops
Episcopal ordinaries
; Suffragan Bishops of Paraíba- Bishop Adauctus Aurélio de Miranda Henriques
- Adauctus Aurélio de Miranda Henriques
- Moisés Ferreira Coelho, previously Bishop of Cajazeiras, then Titular Archbishop of Berœa as Coadjutor Archbishop of Paraíba
- * Auxiliary Bishop: Manuel Pereira da Costa, Titular Bishop of Knin ; later Bishop of Nazaré, Bishop of Campina Grande, died 2006
- Mário de Miranda Villas-Boas, emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Gibba ; previously Bishop of Garanhuns, Metropolitan Archbishop of Belém do Pará, Titular Archbishop of Cyrrhus as never succeeding Coadjutor Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia
- José Maria Pires ; previously Bishop of Araçuaí
- Marcelo Pinto Carvalheira, also Vice-President of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil ; previously Titular Bishop of Bitylius as Auxiliary Bishop of Paraíba, Bishop of Guarabira
- Aldo de Cillo Pagotto, Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, previously Coadjutor Bishop of Sobral succeeding as Bishop of Sobral
- Apostolic Administrator Genival Saraiva de França, former Bishop of Palmares
- Manoel Delson Pedreira da Cruz, OFMCap, previously Bishop of Caicó, Bishop of Campina Grande .
Coadjutor archbishop
- Moisés Sizenando Coelho
Auxiliary bishops
- Manuel Pereira da Costa, appointed Bishop of Nazaré, Pernambuco
- Marcelo Pinto Carvalheira, appointed Archbishop here