CIENFUEGOS, DIOCESE OF. - A city in the Republic of Cuba in the Antilles, and the seat of a diocese, suffragan of Santiago de Cuba (q.v.), which comprises the entire civil province of Santa Clara with an area of 20,910 sq. km. In 1948 the diocese had a population of 938,000 Catholics divided into 34 parishes with 20 diocesan priests and 32 regular clergy, 8 boys' colleges and 19 girls' colleges.
The Spanish Franciscans who, from the 17th century, had ensured the sacred ministry in the diocese, were forced to leave in 1835 by the decree of exclusion of religious orders issued by the Spanish government. The confiscations carried out by the governors, and the devastations caused by the civil wars of 1868 and 1895 greatly hindered the progress of the Church. After the civil war of 1898, the province of Santa Clara could be erected into a diocese with its seat in Cienfuegos on 20 February 1903, and since then it has always been suffragan of Santiago de Cuba.