NEW CAUCERES, DIOCESE OF
Diocese in the Philippine Islands. It covers 17,617 sq. km. and has 1,666,459 inhabitants, of whom 1,583,137 are Catholics. It has 110 parishes served by 196 diocesan priests and 23 regular clergy, one seminary, 2 male and 9 female religious communities (Ann. Pont., 1951, p. 293).
Founded by Clement VIII on 14 August 1595, on the occasion of the erection of the ecclesiastical province of Manila, of which it is still a suffragan see. Missionary work was begun in 1565 by the Augustinians, assisted from 1578 by the Franciscans. In 1579 Francisco de Sande, Governor of the Philippines, founded the city of N. C., which was raised to episcopal status in 1595. The first bishop was Francisco de Ortega, O.E.S.A., who took possession in 1600. Under his