Bahia Blanca, Diocese of. — In Argentina, in the province of Buenos Aires. Erected on 20 Apr. 1934 with 34 parishes: 32 in the civil province of Buenos Aires and 2 for the 11 districts of the southern part of the governorship of La Pampa; suffragan to La Plata. It has an area of 167,066 sq. km., with 530,000 inhabitants, of whom 500,000 are Catholic. At present it numbers 46 parishes, 42 diocesan priests and 45 religious (1948).
BIBL.: AAS, 26 (1934), p. 558; 27 (1935), pp. 257-63; Anuario Católico Argentino 1935, Buenos Aires 1935, pp. 440-441; ibid. 1939, 1939, pp. 390-97. Giovanni Meseguer