Altoona, Diocese of
In Pennsylvania (United States), a suffragan of Philadelphia. Erected on 30 May 1901, Altoona comprises the eight counties of Pennsylvania detached from the dioceses of Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Catholics number 124,760 out of a total population of 619,257. There are 111 parishes, 137 diocesan priests, and 76 religious.
Alto Orinoco, Apostolic Prefecture of
Situated in northeastern Venezuela, bordering British Guiana and Brazil. Erected by the Sacred Consistorial Congregation on 5 February 1932, dismembering territory from the diocese of Guyana (Venezuela) and placed under the jurisdiction of 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 already explored, bordering Colombia, includes the banks of the Orinoco, Atabapo, Guainia, and Rio Negro rivers and the zone of the Orinoco up to the confluence of the Casiquiare with the latter; the rest of the region up to the Parima, Maigualida, and Guamapi mountains remains unexplored, inhabited by 14 tribes similar in customs but very 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 in the Amazon—San Carlos (Rio Negro), Maroa (Rio Guainia), and San Fernando (Rio Orinoco)—are served by four priests of the Pious Society of St John Bosco (in the territory since 1 September 1933) with four lay coadjutors. A school (130 pupils) and an orphanage (60 boys) have been opened at Atures. Despite considerable material and moral difficulties—aggravated by the long neglect of the parish of La Urbana owing to insufficient diocesan clergy in Guyana—the pace of religious renewal and evangelization of the pagans is promising, especially if missionary personnel can be strengthened in the future.