FARGO, DIOCESI di. - City in the State of North Dakota, in the United States of America, and seat of a diocese suffragan to S. Paolo di Minnesota, comprising 30 counties in the eastern part of that State, that is, a territory of approximately 90,750 sq. km.
In 1948, out of a population of 408,873 inhabitants, there were 74,539 Catholics, including 6,334 Indians, distributed among 112 parishes and stations, under the direction of 150 priests, 19 of whom were religious, with 18 High Schools attended by 2,341 pupils and 23 elementary schools with 3,263 schoolchildren. In 1946 there were 316 conversions. The diocese also has four communities of religious men (including a Benedictine abbey at Richardson) and 12 of religious women.
The present diocese was erected on 12 Nov. 1889, with its seat at Jamestown, and was transferred to F. on 24 May 1897. At that time it comprised the whole of North Dakota. On 31 Dec. 1909 Pius X divided that territory in order to erect the diocese of Bismarck (v.).