The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paraíba (
Latin: Archidioecesis Parahybensis) is a Latin Metropolitan
archdiocese, named after the city of João Pessoa, which used to be named
Paraíba, in southeastern
Brazil.
Established on April 27, 1892 as Diocese of Paraiba, on territory split off from the then
Diocese of Olinda
Lost territory on 1909.12.29 to establish the then
Diocese of Natal (now Metropolitan itself)
Promoted on February 6, 1914 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Paraíba, having lost territory to establish its senior
suffragan, the
Diocese of Cajazeiras
As per 2014, it pastorally served 1,288,000 Catholics (82.8% of 1,556,103 total) on 6,703 km² in 89 parishes and 8 missions with 151 priests (116 diocesan, 35 religious), 37 deacons, 259 lay religious (41 brothers, 218 sisters) and 45 seminarians.
Auxiliary Bishop: Manuel Pereira da Costa (1954.05.31 – 1959.06.20),
Titular Bishop of
Knin (1954.05.31 – 1959.06.20); later Bishop of
Nazaré (Brazil) (1959.06.20 – 1962.08.23), Bishop of
Campina Grande (Brazil) (1962.08.23 – retired 1981.05.20), died 2006
Mário de Miranda Villas-Boas (1959.06.20 – retired 1965.05.18), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of
Gibba (1965.05.18 – death 1968.02.23); previously Bishop of
Garanhuns (Brazil) (1938.05.26 – 1944.09.10), Metropolitan Archbishop of
Belém do Pará (Brazil) (1944.09.10 – 1956.10.23), Titular Archbishop of
Cyrrhus (1956.10.23 – 1959.06.20) as never succeeding Coadjutor Archbishop of
São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (1956.10.23 – 1959.06.20)
José Maria Pires (1965.12.02 – retired 1995.11.29); previously Bishop of
Araçuaí (Brazil) (1957.05.25 – 1965.12.02)
Marcelo Pinto Carvalheira (1995.11.29 – retired 2004.05.05), also Vice-President of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (1998 – 2003); previously Titular Bishop of
Bitylius (1975.10.29 – 1981.11.09) as
Auxiliary Bishop of Paraíba (1975.10.29 – 1981.11.09), Bishop of
Guarabira (Brazil) (1981.11.09 – 1995.11.29)