Huajuapam de Leon

Huajuápam de León

(Huajuapatamensis)

Diocese in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, erected by Bull of Leo XIII, "Sedes Apostolica" of 25 April, 1902, from parts of the Archdiocese of Oaxaca and the former Diocese (now Archdiocese) of Puebla de los Angeles. The Bull was forwarded on 17 March, 1903, and Dr. Próspero María Alarcon, Archbishop of Mexico, delegated as executor of the Bull, in turn appointed Dr. Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete, Bishop of Cuernavaca, as subdelegate. The canonical erection of the new diocese took place on 12 May, 1903, Dr. Rafael Amador having been named bishop on 8 March. Bishop Amador was born at Chila, 4 February, 1856, and studied at Puebla and in the South American Colegio Pio, Rome, where he took the degree of Doctor of Theology. He held various offices in the seminary at Puebla, was pastor and dean (vicario foraneo), and was consecrated bishop, 29 June, 1903, in the cathedral of Oaxaca by the archbishop of the see. At first the diocese was under the immediate jurisdiction of the Holy See, under the title of Mixtecas taken from the territory of that name, embraced within its limits. When by Bull of Pius X, "Praedecessoris Nostri" of 9 August, 1903, the Diocese of Puebla de los Angeles was raised to the rank of an archdiocese, the Diocese of Mixtecas was assigned to it as suffragan, and by decree of the "Congregatio Concilii" of 28 November of the same year, the diocese was given the name of the residential seat, Huajuápam de León, in place of Mixtecas. On 4 November, 1905, the new bishop erected the cathedral chapter, consisting of one dignitary (arcediano), a personatus (lectoral), three canons, and four chaplains; the first diocesan synod was held in December, 1906, for the enactment of synodal statutes.

According to information given by the bishop's secretary, dated 10 September, 1909, the diocese contains a Catholic population of about 200,000, 36 parishes, 220 churches with about 20 mission chapels, 57 secular and 3 regular priests (2 Dominicans and 1 Carmelite). The episcopal seminary has an attendance of 60, about equally divided between interns and externs; 12 are ready for ordination. In the city of Huajuapam are two communities of Carmelite Sisters numbering 11, one in charge of a hospital, the other occupied with the work of teaching.

Acta Pontificia, IV (Rome, 1906), 15 sqq.; special information has also been obtained from the episcopal curia.

GREGOR REINHOLD