Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antsiranana


The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antsiranana is one of five Metropolitan Latin Archdioceses in Madagascar. Although it has its ecclesiastical province, it remains subject to the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Antsiranana.
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History

It was established on 16 January 1896 as Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Madagascar, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Madagascar
On 20 May 1913 it was renamed after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Diégo-Suarez.
On 15 March 1923 it lost territory to establish the then Apostolic Vicariate of Majunga
On 14 September 1955 it was promoted as Diocese of Diégo-Suarez
Promoted on 11 December 1958 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Diégo-Suarez, during the transition from French colony to independence.
On 21 May 1959 it lost territory to establish the Diocese of Ambatondrazaka.
It enjoyed a Papal visit by Pope John Paul II in April 1989.
Renamed on 28 October 1989 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Antsiranana.
On 30 October 2000 it lost further territory to establish the Diocese of Fenoarivo Atsinanana.

Ecclesiastical province

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Antsiranana has the following suffragan sees :

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 662,873 Catholics on 37,924 km2 in 26 parishes with 65 priests, 194 lay religious and 54 seminarians.
It had a total population of about 2,211,890 in 2004. About 15.5% of the residents were Catholic. 46 Priests operated in the Archdiocese, making for a ratio of 7,464 Catholics per Priest. The Archbishop as of November 2013 is Benjamin Marc Ramaroson.

Episcopal ordinaries

; Apostolic Vicar of North Madagascar
; Apostolic vicars of Diego Suarez
;Suffragan bishop of Diego Suarez
  • Edmond-Marie-Jean Wolff,
;Metropolitan archbishops of Diego Suarez
;Metropolitan archbishops of Antsiranana