Upper Orinoco, Apostolic Prefecture of the

ALTO ORINOCO, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. — It is situated in north-eastern Venezuela, on the borders of British Guiana and Brazil. It was established by the S. Congregation of the Council on 5 February 1932, its territory being detached from the diocese of Guyana (Venezuela), and was placed under Propaganda Fide. It comprises the municipality and parish of La Urbana (St-Bolivar) and four departments of the « Territorio de Amazonas »: Atures (capital of the same name), Atabapo (S. Fernando), Rio Negro (S. Carlos), Casiquiare (Maroa). The Amazonian region facing Colombia has already been explored, together with the banks of the Orinoco, Atabapol, Guainia, and Rio Negro rivers, and the area of the Orinoco as far as the confluence of the Casiquiare with the latter; the rest of the region as far as the Parima, Maigualida, and Guamapi Mountains remains unexplored. There are 14 tribes there, similar in customs but extremely diverse in language. There is only one road from Atures to the port of Sanariapo (67 km); otherwise, travel is by water. The territory covers 300,000 sq. km; the population (1940 census) consists of 39,450 pagans and 4,754 Catholics. La Urbana and the three missionary stations of Amazonia—S. Carlos (Rio Negro), Maroa (Rio Guainia), and S. Fernando (Rio Orinoco)—are entrusted to four priests of the Pia Società di s. Giovanni Bosco (in the territory since 11 September 1933), with four lay coadjutors. A school was opened at Atures (130 pupils), as well as an orphanage (60 boys). Despite the considerable material and moral difficulties, also owing to the neglect to which the parish of La Urbana was long subjected because of the insufficiency of the diocesan clergy of Guyana, the renewal of religious life, as well as the evangelization of the pagans, is proceeding promisingly, especially if the missionary personnel can be reinforced in the future.