FIUME MADDALENA, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF. - The mission is located in the northwestern regions of the Republic of Colombia and embraces the entire territory extending along the right bank of the Magdalena River. It was erected as an apostolic prefecture in 1928 by dismemberment of the dioceses of Santa Marta, Pamplona, Socorro, San Gil and entrusted to the Jesuits of the province of Colombia. By decree of 18 April 1950 it was elevated to an apostolic vicariate with the title of Barrancabermeja.
The territory in the past was sparsely populated because of the frequent floods to which it is subject; the number of inhabitants grew with the installation of oil wells by American industrial companies. The means of communication are scarce: there is only one railway line running from Puerto Wilches to Bucaramanga; the rest of the country is crossed by mule tracks. In the hot seasons the region is often infested by small insects that cause dangerous malarial fevers, treated with primitive methods and lemon water, a fruit very abundant in that area. The population is composed, for the most part, of Blacks, descendants of the Africans brought to Colombia, who live quite primitively, supporting themselves by hunting and fishing. They have a very lively faith: they bring their children to be baptized at the cost of long journeys, and they themselves baptize the sick in danger of death. In dangers they invoke God, the Madonna and the patron saints. Some, moreover, called "rezanderos," have the power to cure, by the recitation of particular prayers and simple signs of the cross, the infirmities arising from snake bites.
The statistical data of the mission may be summarized as follows: total population 49,780, of whom 49,344 Catholics, 424 Protestants, 8 Jews, 4 Muslims. In 1948 there were 6 baptisms of adults and 2453 baptisms of children. Personnel: Colombian priests 6, foreign 6; brothers 10; sisters 20; catechists 34 men and 56 women; male teachers 27 and female teachers 65. Quasi-parishes 5, churches 16, chapels 17. Elementary schools 1. Press: printing shops 1; periodicals: La Hijra del Hogar with 2000 copies.