### LAJES, DIOCESE OF
A city and diocese in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, suffragan to Florianópolis.
The diocese covers an area of 40,241 sq. km. and comprises the entire plateau of Santa Catarina, including the municipalities of Lajes, São Joaquim, Curitibanos, Porto União, Canôas, Campos Novos, Rio Caçador, Concórdia, Bom Retiro, Joaçaba, and Videira. The diocese has a population of 447,848, of whom 412,443 are Catholics, distributed across 32 parishes, served by 24 diocesan priests and 79 religious; it has one seminary. There are 27 male and 45 female religious communities (1950).
The diocese was erected by Pope Pius XI with the apostolic constitution *Inter praecipuas* of 17 January 1927, by separating territory from the diocese of Florianópolis, which was elevated to metropolitan status; the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, *Gaudiosa*, in the city of Lajes, was given the title and dignity of a cathedral. The same Pontiff, by the apostolic constitution *Ad maius christifidelium bonum* of 9 December 1933, detached several parishes from the diocese of Lajes to erect the *prelatura nullius* of Palmas.
### LAÍNEZ, DIEGO
Portrait — Rome, General Curia of the Society of Jesus.
He died at the age of only 53, worn out by the immense burden of work entrusted to and assumed by him, beyond the frailty of his delicate constitution.