The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toliara (Latin: Toliarana) is one of five Metropolitan archdioceses with an Ecclesiastical province in Madagascar, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Archdiocese of Toliara Archidioecesis Toliarana | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Madagascar |
| Ecclesiastical province | Toliara |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 43,570 km2 (16,820 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2017) 1,156,800 163,300 (14.1%) |
| Parishes | 24 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Roman rite |
| Established | 8 April 1957 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Fulgence Rabeony S.J. |
It cathedral archiepiscopal see is in Toliara (formerly Tuléar).
Ecclesiastical province
editIts Suffragan sees are :
Statistics
editAs per 2014, it pastorally served 119,638 Catholics (11.8% of 1,014,000 total) on 43,570 km2 in 23 parishes and 1 mission with 63 priests (26 diocesan, 37 religious), 373 lay religious (68 brothers, 305 sisters) and 18 seminarians.
History
edit- Established on 1957.04.08 as Diocese of Tuléar, on territty split off from the Diocese of Fort-Dauphin
- Renamed on 1989.10.28 like its see as Diocese of Toliara
- Promoted on 2003.12.03 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toliara
Bishops
edit
Ordinaries
edit(all Roman rite)
- Suffragan Bishops of Tuléar
- Michel-Henri Canonne, Assumptionists (A.A.) (born France) (1959.04.25 – retired 1974.02.28), died 1991
- René Joseph Rakotondrabé (1974.02.28 – 1989.05.15), previously Titular Bishop of Umbriatico (1972.03.25 – 1974.02.28) as Auxiliary Bishop of Tuléar (1972.03.25 – 1974.02.28); later Bishop of Tamatave (Madagascar) (1989.05.15 – 1990.01.31), Bishop of Toamasina (Madagascar) (1990.01.31 – retired 2008.11.24), died 2012
- Suffragan Bishops of Toliara
- Fulgence Rabeony, Jesuits (S.J.) (1990.04.02 – 2003.11.14 see below)
- Metropolitan Archbishops of Toliara
- Fulgence Rabeony, S.J. (see above 2003.12.03 - ...), also President of Episcopal Conference of Madagascar (2002 – 2006)
Auxiliary Bishop
edit- René Joseph Rakotondrabé (1972-1974), appointed Bishop here