Saint Thomas of Guiana

Diocese; suffragan of Caracas, erected by Pius VI on 19 Dec., 1791, comprises the former state of Berm?dez, districts of Nueva Esparta and Guayana, and territories of Amazonas, Caura, Col?n, Orinoco, and Yuruary, in the south and east of Venezuela. The first bishop was Mgr. Francisco de Ybarra, born at Guacata, Venezuela; his successors were: (1) Jos? Antonio Mohedano (1800), born in the Diocese of Toledo; (2) Mgr. Jos? de Silva y Olave (15 March, 1815). After the troubles caused by the wars of independence Leo XII named (3) Mgr. Mariano Talavero, of Santa F?, vicar Apostolic and titular Bishop of Tricala. Gregory XII restored the episcopate, appointing (4) Mgr. Antonio Fortique (12 July, 1841); (5) Jos? Emanuel Arroyo (1856); and (6) Mgr. Antonio Maria Duran (25 Sept., 1891), the present bishop. The diocese contains over 400,000 Catholics, and a few alien Jews and Protestants; 60 parishes (20 filial); 36 priests; 50 churches and chapels. The Carib Indians occupying Eastern Venezuela were civilized and Christianized by the early Spanish Franciscan missionaries. The episcopal city, Ciudad Bol?var (population 12,000) was established in 1764 by two Jesuits under the governorship of Joaqu?n de Mendoza, on the right bank of the Orinoco, and called San Tom?s de la Nueva Guayana; but owing to a narrowing of the river was commonly known as Angostura. It played an important part in the national history, and Sim?n Bolivar was elected president there by the Congress of February, 1819; in his honor the city has been renamed Ciudad Bolivar.