DERNA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. - Erected on 22 June 1939 by the division of the former apostolic vicariate of Cyrenaica (now of Bengasi), it comprises the whole territory of the civil province of D., as it was in 1939 (c. 113,000 sq. km). It was entrusted to the Salesians, and before the last war it had over 103,000 inhabitants, of whom c. 49,000 were Muslims, 859 Ismailis, and 11,688 Catholics, almost all Italians, not including military personnel. There were about ten churches.
Given the repatriations caused by the war and the progressive depopulation of the region as a result of repeated invasions, this state of affairs continuing even after the end of hostilities, in 1946 the apostolic vicar was permitted to return to Italy, as were subsequently the Salesian missionaries, the last two of whom left D. and Razza in 1947. The care of the very few faithful and of the few nuns of the vicariate of D. was entrusted to the apostolic vicar of Bengasi, who governs that vicariate as apostolic administrator, pending better times.