DIEGO SUAREZ, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE di. - In Africa, on the island of Madagascar. It originated from the apostolic vicariate of Madagascar, erected on 21 Jan. 1848 and divided on 16 Jan. 1896 into the southern apostolic vicariate and the northern apostolic vicariate.
On 5 July 1898 the latter vicariate was divided into the central apostolic vicariate, entrusted to the Jesuits, and the northern apostolic vicariate, entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. On 20 May 1913 it received its present designation, and the apostolic vicariate of Majunga was detached from it on 15 March 1923. In 1932 two districts were ceded to the apostolic prefecture of Nossibè and Mayotte, now Ambanja.
It has an area of 90,000 sq. km. There are 11 missions with 39 Spiritan Fathers, 7 native priests, 27 missionary catechist sisters of Mary Immaculate, of whom 4 are native, 64 teachers, and 568 catechists. The total population is approximately 483,722 inhabitants, of whom 38,825 are Catholics and 9,686 catechumens. There are 7 vocational schools with 129 pupils, and 52 primary schools with 2,129 pupils.