ERIE, diocese of. — City in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States of America and seat of a suffragan diocese of Philadelphia; it comprises the following 13 counties located in the northwestern part of the State itself: E., Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Forest, Clarion, Jefferson, Clearfield, Cameron, Elk, Mc Kean, Potter, and Warren. It extends over approximately 25,580 sq km.
In 1948, out of a population of 774,332 inhabitants, the diocese had 151,207 Catholics, under the direction of 200 secular priests and 86 religious, with 123 parishes, 46 missions, 16 chapels, 3 colleges, 15 High-schools, and 54 parochial schools. In the year 1946, there were 616 conversions. Seven male and 13 female religious institutes reside in the diocese.
The territory subsequently formed part of the diocese of Quebec (1753–58), the apostolic vicariate of London (1758–80), and finally of Pittsburg, until 15 July 1853, when it was detached for the creation of the new diocese with its see at E., a suffragan of Baltimore; it was finally annexed to the new province of Philadelphia, created on 12 February 1875.