PORTO DI SPAGNA, ARCIDIOCESI di. – It is situated in the British West Indies and has its see on the island of Trinidad; it comprises the Windward or Leeward Islands, the islands of Tobago, Grenada, St-Vincent, S. Lucia, the Grenadines, and other smaller islands.
In 1513 Pietro di Cordova, Dominican provincial in S. Domingo, sent the first Dominicans to Trinidad, but they were killed. In 1571 twelve Franciscans from Granada went there, but fell victim to the unhealthy climate. In 1576 two Jesuits went there and worked in Trinidad for several years before proceeding to Guiana. The first ecclesiastical foundation was established in 1591. In 1596 another twenty-two priests arrived from Castile and Seville at Port of the Spaniards, now Port-of-Spain, accompanied by a large retinue of adventurers seeking their fortune. In 1622 Spain fully established its authority over Trinidad, which was apparently regarded as belonging to the diocese of Puerto Rico. In 1687 the Capuchins began their apostolate there according to the system of the reductions of Paraguay and founded various missionary centers that also served as centers of all civil life.
On 27 March 1802, the Treaty of Amiens assigned the island of Trinidad to England, which had already occupied it in 1797. The group of American islands occupied by England was initially placed under the apostolic vicariate of London. By decree of 8 Apr. 1808, Propaganda entrusted the Antilles and the Lucayas to the archbishop of Baltimore, with authority to send them missionaries of the secular and regular clergy. The meager results obtained compelled Propaganda to decide, on 23 Feb. 1818, to create an apostolic vicariate with its residence on the island of Trinidad, comprising British Guiana, the island of Trinidad with the Antilles as far as Puerto Rico (excluding the French possessions), the island of Jamaica and its dependencies, the Lucayas, and Bermuda. On 8 Feb. 1836, the division of the vicariate was decreed, and was partly carried out through the erection of the apostolic vicariate of Jamaica on 10 Jan. 1837. The division was confirmed on 30 Jan. 1837, and the apostolic vicariate was called the apostolic vicariate of the Most Holy Trinity. Consequently, Bermuda was ceded to the apostolic vicariate of Nova Scotia (today the archdiocese of Halifax); the apostolic vicariate of Jamaica was created, with British Honduras (today the apostolic vicariate of Belize) and the Lucayas or Bahamas (today the apostolic vicariate of the Bahama Islands). On 12 Apr. of the same year, the apostolic vicariate of British Guiana was also detached from II. On 30 Apr. 1850, the apostolic vicariate was elevated to an archdiocese, and on the Roseau (v.) was detached from it, while the island of Barbados was assigned to the apostolic vicariate of Guiana.
The area of the islands is 6,455 sq km, with a population of 791,946, part of African and Indian origin. There are 319,000 Catholics, 296,952 Protestants, 35,565 Muslims, 147,988 pagans, and a few Jews. There are 146 priests, 25 brothers, and 264 nuns. There is a major and minor seminary. There are 65 parishes and 118 mission stations. There is 1 orphanage, 2 leprosariums, 169 elementary schools, 12 secondary schools, and 2 teacher-training schools. Three Catholic periodicals are published there.