Jurisdiction: | Apostolic Vicariate |
Pilcomayo | |
Latin: | Apostolicus Vicariatus Pilcomayoënsis |
Country: | Paraguay |
Province: | Immediately exempt to the Holy See |
Area Km2: | 125,000 |
Population: | 83,000 |
Population As Of: | 2010 |
Catholics: | 38,700 |
Catholics Percent: | 46.6 |
Parishes: | 5 |
Denomination: | Catholic Church |
Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
Rite: | Roman Rite |
Established: | 14 July 1950 (years ago) |
Bishop Title: | Vicar Apostolic |
The Vicariate Apostolic of Pilcomayo (Latin: Apostolicus Vicariatus Pilcomayoënsis) is a Latin Church missionary territory or apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church in Paraguay.
It is exempt to the Holy See, specifically the Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and is 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.
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.
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.[1] [2]