Ryahovo
Ryahovo is a village in northern Bulgaria, and as Ancient Apiaria a former bishopric, remaining a Latin Catholic titular see.
It is located in the municipality of Slivo Pole in Ruse Province.
As of February 2011, it had a population of 1,637 inhabitants.
History
An ancient Roman fort known as Appiaria was built on the site under Roman Emperor Vespasian forming part of the limes Moesiae defences on the banks of the Danube. Its garrison was at some time Ala I Atectorigiana.It was probably destroyed by seventh century Bulgarian invaders.
In late 1916, it came under Romanian occupation, from the early morning of October 1st to the late night of October 3rd, during the Flămânda Offensive.
Apiaria Bight on Brabant Island in the Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica, was named after the village.
Ecclesiastical History
Appiaria was important enough in the Roman province of Moesia Inferior to become a suffragan diocese of the capital's Metropolitan Archdiocese of Marcianopolis, in the sway of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.It has two documented incumbents :
- Lupicinus, mentioned in a letter of Saint John Chrysostomos to Pope Innocent I, circa 403
- Martialis, who signed the letter of the episcopate of Moesia Secunda to Byzantine Emperor Leo I the Thracian in 458 after the lynching by Coptic mobs of Patriarch Proterius of Alexandria.
Titular see
The diocese was nominally restored as Titular bishopric of Apiaria / Appiaria / Appiaren.It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal rank, including an Eastern Catholic:
- Bonifatius Sauer, Missionary Benedictine Congregation of Saint Ottilien , first as Apostolic Vicar of Wonsan , later as Abbot Ordinary of Territorial Abbacy of Tŏkugen , also Apostolic Administrator of the renamed Apostolic Vicariate of Kanko
- Joseph Lennox Federal as Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Salt Lake City ; next promoted Coadjutor Bishop of Salt Lake City, succeeding as Bishop of Salt Lake City, died 2000
- Thomas Austin Murphy as Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore and as emeritate
- Vasile Bizău as Bishop of Curia of the Romanian Catholic Church ; later Eparch of Maramureş of the Romanians .
- Ernesto Giobando, Jesuit Order , Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Buenos Aires ; later Bishop of Mar del Plata
- Anthony Gerald Percy, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Australia.