ALBANY, Diocese of. - In the United States of America, state of New York, suffragan of 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 over 10,419 sq km. The diocese of A. counts 284,124 Catholics, out of 989,756 inhabitants; 351 diocesan priests and 220 regulars.
On this territory were martyred in the 17th century the Jesuits St. René Goupil and St. Isaac Jogues (v. CANADIAN, martyrs), and baptized Catherine Tekakwitha (v.), Indian virgin. Its first bishop was John M. McCloskey (1847-64), d. cardinal archbishop of New York on 10 Oct. 1885.
Bibliography6 works
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.