ZAMBOANGA, Diocese of. - A city and diocese in the department of Cebu on the island of Mindanao (Philippines).
It has an area of 15,990 sq. km. with a population of 556,813 inhabitants, of whom 283,956 are Catholics; it comprises 28 parishes served by 13 diocesan priests and 34 regular clergy; it has 1 seminary, 12 male religious communities and 5 female ones (Ann. Pont. 1953, p. 461).
The diocese was erected by Pius X with the bull Novas erigere diocesani of 10 Apr. 1910, as a suffragan of Cagayan. Its first bishop was Msgr. Michael O'Doherty. The cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.
BIBL.: AAS, 2 (1910), p. 290; Ph. M. Finegan, s. V. in Cath. Enc., XV, p. 747. Enrico Josi