SAN BONIFACIO, ARCHDIOCESE OF
City and archdiocese in the province of Manitoba (Canada). The archdiocese of S. B. covers an area of 100,000 sq. km. The Catholic population numbers 65,085; 84 diocesan priests and 128 religious exercise the sacred ministry in the 61 parishes, 80 churches, 58 chapels, and 122 other stations. There are a major seminary, 2 colleges, 1 apostolic school, 8 novitiates, 1 retreat house, 6 hospitals. There are also 760 sisters from 15 different congregations.
The diocese of S. B. was erected by Pius IX on June 4, 1847, when the Apostolic Vicariate of the Northwest (Hudson Bay and James Bay) was elevated to a diocese. The same Pius IX elevated the diocese to an archdiocese on September 22, 1871.
S. B. played an important role in the development of the Catholic Church in the West. In 1818, the priest Joseph Norbert Provencher left the eastern part of the country for the missions of the Red River as vicar general.