The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toliara (Latin: Toliarana) is one of five Metropolitan archdioceses with an Ecclesiastical province in Madagascar, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is in Toliara (formerly Tuléar).
Ecclesiastical province
Its Suffragan sees are :
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Morombe
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Morondava
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Tôlagnaro
Statistics
As per 2014, it pastorally served 119,638 Catholics (11.8% of 1,014,000 total) on 43,570 km2 in 23 parishes and 1 mission with 63 priests (26 diocesan, 37 religious), 373 lay religious (68 brothers, 305 sisters) and 18 seminarians.
History
- Established 8 April 1957 as Diocese of Tuléar, on territty split off from the Diocese of Fort-Dauphin
- Renamed 28 October 1989 like its see as Diocese of Toliara
- Promoted 3 December 2003 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toliara
Bishops
Ordinaries
(all Roman rite)
- Michel-Henri Canonne, A.A. (25 April 1959 – 28 February 1974), retired
- René Joseph Rakotondrabé (28 February 1974 – 15 May 1989), appointed Bishop of Tamatave
- Fulgence Rabeony, S.J. (2 April 1990 – 3 December 2003 see below)
- Fulgence Rabeony, S.J. (see above 3 December 2003 – 22 July 2023), retired
- Gustavo Bombín Espino, O.Ss.T. (22 July 2023 – Present)
Auxiliary Bishop
- René Joseph Rakotondrabé (1972-1974), appointed Bishop here
Sources and external links
- GCatholic.org, with Google satellite photo
23°20′46″S 43°40′00″E / 23.34611°S 43.66667°E / -23.34611; 43.66667