Archdiocese of Niterói
The Archdiocese of Niteroi is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the city of Niterói in Rio de Janeiro state, southeast Brazil. It is a metropolitan see.
Its archiepiscopal see is the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, in downtown Niterói. The city also has the Minor Basilica of Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora, dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and is set to complete a future cathedral by Guanabara Bay: the Nova Catedral São João Batista.
History
- Established on April 27, 1892 as the Diocese of Niterói, on territory split off from the then-Diocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro
- Lost territories repeatedly: on 1895.11.15: to establish the Diocese of EspÃrito Santo; on 1922.12.04 to establish the Diocese of Barra do Piraà and the Diocese of Campos ; on 1946.04.13 to establish the Diocese of Petropolis
- March 26, 1960: Elevated as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Niterói, having lost territory to establish the Diocese of Nova Iguaçu.
Statistics
As per 2014, it pastorally served 1,228,000 Catholics on 4,728 km² in 77 parishes and 6 missions with 147 priests, 75 deacons, 249 lay religious and 74 seminarians.Ecclesiastical Province
The suffragan sees in Niterói's ecclesiastical province are:Episcopal ordinaries, with auxiliary bishops listed alongside
;Suffragan Bishops of Niterói- Francisco do Rego Maia ; next Bishop of Belém do Pará, emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Nicopolis
- João Francisco Braga ; next last Suffragan Bishop of Curitiba, promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of Curitiba, emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Soteropolis
- Agostinho Francisco Benassi
- José Pereira Alves, previously Bishop of Natal
- José da Matha de Andrade y Amaral, previously Bishop of Cajazeiras, Bishop of Amazonas
- * Auxiliary Bishop: José de Almeida Batista Pereira, Titular Bishop of Baris in Pisidia ; next Bishop of Sete Lagoas, Bishop of Guaxupé, died 2009
- Carlos Gouvêa Coelho, previously Bishop of Nazaré ; next Metropolitan Archbishop of Olinda e Recife
- Antônio de Almeida Moraes Junior, did 1984; previously Bishop of Montes Claros, Metropolitan Archbishop of Olinda e Recife
- José Gonçalves da Costa, Redemptorists, died 2001; previously Titular Bishop of Rhodopolis as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, Secretary General of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, Bishop of Presidente Prudente, Titular Archbishop of Ulcinj as Coadjutor Archbishop of Niterói
- * Auxiliary Bishop: Paulo Lopes de Faria, Titular Bishop of Thelepte ; later Bishop of Itabuna, Coadjutor Archbishop of Diamantina, succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of Diamantina, died 2009
- Carlos Alberto Etchandy Gimeno Navarro, previously Titular Bishop of Cenæ as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, Bishop of Campos
- Alano Maria Pena, Order of Preachers, previously Titular Bishop of Vardimissa as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Belém do Pará and as Coadjutor Bishop-Prelate of Marabá, succeeding as last Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Marabá, promoted first Bishop of Marabá, Bishop of Itapeva, Bishop of Nova Friburgo
- * Auxiliary Bishop: Roberto Francisco FerrerÃa Paz, Titular Bishop of Accia ; later Bishop of Campos
- José Rezende Francisco Dias, previously Titular Bishop of Turres Ammeniæ as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Pouso Alegre, Bishop of Duque de Caxias
- * Auxiliary Bishop: Luiz Antônio Lopes Ricci, Titular Bishop of Tindari; appointed Bishop of Nova Friburgo