PETROLINA, DIOCESE of. — City and diocese in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil.
It has a population of 160,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, distributed among 13 parishes served by 11 diocesan priests and 3 religious priests, one seminary, one male religious community, and one female religious community (Ann. Pont., 1952, p. 317).
The diocese was created by Pope Pius XI with the bull Dominici gregis of 20 November 1923, by detachment from the diocese of Pesqueira, at the same time raising to the rank and dignity of a cathedral the parish church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Assumed into Heaven existing in P. The diocese is suffragan to Olinda and Recife. The first bishop was Msgr. A. Malan.
BIBL.: AAS, 16 (1924), pp. 216–18; G. B. Lehmann, O Brasil Católico 1947, Juiz de Fora 1947, pp. 285–87. Virginio Battezzati