Roman Catholic Diocese of Carolina explained

Jurisdiction:	Diocese
Carolina
Latin:	Dioecesis Carolinensis in Brasilia
Rite:	Latin Rite
Established:	14 January 1958 (years ago)
Cathedral:	Catedral São Pedro de Alcântara
Area Km2:	18,252
Population:	150,000
Population As Of:	2004
Catholics:	121,000
Catholics Percent:	80.7
Bishop:	Francisco Lima Soares
Emeritus Bishops:	José Soares Filho, OFMCap

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Carolina (Latin: Dioecesis Carolinensis in Brasilia) is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of São Luís do Maranhão in northeastern Brazil's Maranhão state.

Its cathedral episcopal see is Catedral São Pedro de Alcântara, dedicated to Saint Peter of Alcantara, in the city of Carolina, Maranhão.

History

14 January 1958: Established as Territorial Prelature of Carolina, on territory split off from the Diocese of Rio Preto
16 October 1979: Promoted as Diocese of Carolina
Lost territory on 1987.06.27 to establish Diocese of Imperatriz

Statistics

As per 2015, it pastorally served 158,100 Catholics (89.9% of 175,800 total) on 18,252 km² in 11 parishes and 1 mission with 12 priests (diocesan), 2 lay religious (2 sisters) and 4 seminarians.

Bishops

(all Roman Rite)

Episcopal ordinaries

Territorial Bishop-Prelates of Carolina

Cesário Alexandre Minali, OFMCap (born Italy) (1958.04.09 – death 1969.06.13), Titular Bishop of Achyraus (1955.03.01 – 1969.06.13), previously Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Alto Solimões (Brazil) (1955.03.01 – 1958.04.09)
Marcelino Sérgio Bicego, OFMCap (first native incumbent) (1971.08.06 – 1979.10.16 see below), Titular Bishop of Lydda (1971.08.06 – 1978.05.26)

Suffragan Bishops of Carolina

Marcelino Sérgio Bicego, OFMCap (see above 1979.10.16 – death 1980.01.22)
Evangelista Alcimar Caldas Magalhães, OFMCap (1981.09.03 – 1990.09.12), next Prelate (later Bishop) of Alto Solimões (Brazil) (1990.09.12 – retired 2015.05.20)
Marcelino Correr, OFMCap (1991.03.13 – retired 2003.10.15), died 2006
José Soares Filho, OFMCap (2003.10.15 – retired 2017.07.05), also Apostolic Administrator of Diocese of Tocantinópolis (Brazil) (2008.01 – 2009.03.04); succeeded as previous Coadjutor Bishop of Carolina (2003.01.15 – 2003.10.15)
Francisco Lima Soares (2018.11.21 -)

Coadjutor bishop

José Soares Filho, OFMCap (2003)

Sources and external links

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