RAPID CITY, DIOCESE of. - City and diocese in the State of South Dakota (U. S. A.). Suffragan of S. Paolo.
It covers an area of 43,000 sq. miles with a total population (1950 census) of 155,969 inhabitants. There are 113 priests, 28 of whom are religious (Benedictines, Jesuits, Missionaries of the S. Cuore), 82 parishes, 8 chapels, 81 missions, 49 stations, 6 congregations of women with 181 religious, 16 seminarians, and 5 hospitals. The diocese of R. C. was first erected on 4 Aug. 1902 under the name of the diocese of Lead, through the division of the apostolic vicariate of Nebraska. The latter diocese had been erected in 1859 for Nebraska, Dakota, and Idaho. In 1902 the territory had only 6,000 Catholics, who have now become 43,360. Pius XI, by the constitution Apostolicis litteris of 1 Aug. 1930, transferred the diocese to R. C.