MONTAGNOSA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. — In the sixteenth century, the entire northern part of the island of Luzón, where the apostolic vicariate of M. is located, was erected as a diocese under the name of Nueva Segovia. The territory of the present-day mission always formed part of the aforementioned diocese until its erection as an apostolic prefecture, which took place on 15 July 1932.
Toward the end of the seventeenth century or at the beginning of the following century, religious of the Order of St. Augustine founded the first mission in that region. The Dominicans followed them and established various missions there. But in the last decade of the nineteenth century all the missionaries were persecuted and expelled from the province of M. In 1907 it was entrusted to the Fathers of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Scheut, who found very few Catholics remaining faithful there, and all the churches and residences destroyed. In a short time, however, they succeeded in setting up fifteen stations and converting 40,000 pagans.
The mission of M., so called because it consists entirely of a network of mountains and mountain ranges, largely bounded by two great rivers—the Abra to the west and the Cagayan to the east—has an area of 14,693 sq. km. and comprises the entire territory of the province of the same name. Administratively, the territory is divided into five subprovinces; in that of Benguet is the city of Baguio, the Philippines’ summer resort, with a mild or cold climate owing to its location at an average altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level. It is the residence of the Ordinary of M.
On 10 June 1948 this mission was raised to the rank of an apostolic vicariate. The population is approximately 290,364, of whom 89,860 are Catholics, 18,695 heretics, 5,420 schismatics, and 179,628 pagans (animists); 1,239 catechumens; 22 stations and 5 districts; 50 foreign priests and one indigenous priest; 103 foreign sisters; 37 indigenous sisters; 49 catechists; 5 seminarians; 2 churches; 75 chapels; one hospital; 122 teachers; 6 higher schools with 795 pupils; 21 elementary schools with 2,828 pupils. A printing press, with two periodicals: The little apostle, 3,300 copies; El misionero, 1,000 copies.