TUNJA, DIOCESE OF. - Diocese and city in the Republic of Colombia (South America).
It has an area of 29,094 sq. km., with a population of 924,000 inhabitants, all Catholics, distributed among 118 parishes, served by 157 diocesan priests and 71 regulars; it has a seminary, 11 male religious communities and 50 female ones (Ann. Pont. 1953, p. 436).
The diocese of T. (Tunquenensis), suffragan of Bogotá, was created by Leo XIII on 19 July 1880. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, T. was known by the name of Hunza, as the residence of the zague, ruler of the Muisca. The city was founded on 6 Aug. 1538 by Captain Gonzalo Suárez Rondón, but received city status only in 1681.
The image of Our Lady of Refuge in the Chapel of the Rosary of the church of S. Domenico is greatly venerated by the people, especially on its feast, celebrated on the second Sunday of Nov. The chapel is an architectural jewel. By apostolic letter of 18 Aug. 1927, Pius XI raised the church of Our Lady of the Rosary at Chiaquirra to the title and dignity of a minor basilica (AAS, 20 [1928], pp. 18-19).