MIARINARIVO, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - It is situated in the central region of Madagascar. On 13 Dec. 1933 the entire eastern zone of the Apostolic Vicariate of Tananarive was detached to form the Mission *sui iuris* of M., entrusted to the Order of the Trinitarians. It never, however, had its own Ordinary, and the Italian Trinitarians working there were dependent on the Apostolic Vicariate of Tananarive. On 15 March 1939 a boundary adjustment was made in favor of the Apostolic Prefecture of Morondava. On 25 May 1939 the mission was elevated to a vicariate with the territory of Tananarive and a small zone of the Apostolic Vicariate of Majunga. It was entrusted to the indigenous clergy, and an indigenous Malagasy was appointed Apostolic Vicar with episcopal character; he was the first indigenous bishop of the island. The Italian Trinitarians remained on site, and for them the Apostolic Prefecture of Tsiroanomandiy was erected on 13 Jan. 1949, with territory detached from the Apostolic Vicariate of M.
The territory was evangelized first by the Jesuits and from 1926 by the Italian Trinitarians. Malaria is very widespread and communications are very scarce. It has a surface area of approx. 20,000 sq. km., with approx. 85,000 inhabitants, of whom 39,019 are Catholic and 9,383 are catechumens. Protestants are fewer than Catholics, and the rest are still pagans. There are 10 national priests and 5 foreign priests; 7 national sisters and 1 foreign sister; 264 catechists; 103 teachers; 15 seminarians; 88 schools, of which 80 are elementary; 12 primary stations, 310 secondary; 30 churches; 291 chapels. Works of charity are not lacking.