PIRACICABA, DIOCESE OF. - A city and diocese in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
It has an area of 1,400 sq. km. with a population of 167,000, of whom 160,000 are Catholics. It comprises 12 parishes served by 15 diocesan priests and 13 regular clergy; it has a seminary, 2 male religious communities, and 9 female religious communities (Ann. Pont., 1952, p. 319).
The diocese was erected by Pope Pius XII with the apostolic constitution *Vigil Campinensis ecclesiae antistes* of 26 February 1944, by separating it from the diocese of Campinas and elevating to the rank and dignity of a cathedral the church in honor of St. Anthony of Padua existing in Piracicaba. The diocese is a suffragan of São Paulo in Brazil. The first bishop is the present monsignor E. de Paula.