ALBANY, diocese of. - In the United States of America, State of New York, suffragan to the archdiocese of New York. Erected on 23 Apr. 1847, it was divided on 31 Jan. 1872 to form the diocese of Ogdensburg, and again on 22 Nov. 1886 to constitute that of Syracuse. Its present area is more than 10,419 sq. km. The diocese of A. has 284,124 Catholics out of 989,756 inhabitants; 351 diocesan priests and 220 religious.
In this territory the Jesuits St. Renato Goupil and St. Isacco Jogues (v. MARTIROLOGIO) were martyred in the seventeenth century, Tekakwitha (v.), an Indian virgin, was baptized. Its first bishop was Giovanni M. Closkey (1847–64), who died cardinal archbishop of New York on 10 Oct. 1885.
BIBL.: J. D. Shea, History of the Catholic Church in the United States, IV, New York 1886-92, pp. 478-84; The Cath. historical Review, 2 (1916-17), p. 141; J. H. O' Donnel, The Catholic hierarchy of the United States, (1900-1922), Washington 1922; M. J. Scott, Isaac Jogues, missioner and martyr, New York 1927; J. J. Birch, The Saint of the Wilderness, New York 1936; J. Walsh, s. V. in Cath. Enc., I (rev. ed., 1936), pp. 251-54.