Brazil-1 

Portuguese explorers claimed Brazil for Portugal in 1500 and the first Mass in Brazil was celebrated on Easter Sunday of that year.  Brazil has been predominantly Catholic ever since.  About 65 percent of Brazil’s 209 million people are Catholic and 23 percent belong to other Christian churches.  Brazil gained independence from Portugal in 1822. 

Brazil has 45 ecclesiastical provinces which I will cover over six blogs.  The following are not part of any province.

• The Armenian-rite Apostolic Exarchate of Latin America and Mexico serves 12,000 Armenian Catholics in Brazil, Uruguay, and Mexico.  It was established in 1981 and is immediately subject to the Pope.  The Exarchate has cathedrals in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Montevideo, Uruguay.

• The Ordinariate of Eastern Rite Catholics serves 10,000 Catholics of eastern rites without a diocese in Brazil.  It was established in 1951 and is immediately subject to the Pope. 

• A diocese for the Brazilian armed forces was established in 1950.  

• The Personal Apostolic Administration of São João Maria Vianney serves 30,000 Traditional Catholics in Rio de Janeiro.  It was established in 2002 and is immediately subject to the Pope.

This blog will discuss the nine Catholic provinces in Brazil’s civil states of Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina, as well as the Ukrainian-rite province for Brazil.  All are located in southeastern Brazil.

Province of Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul)

The province consists of east central portion of the civil state of Rio Grande do Sul.  The Diocese of San Pedro do Rio Grande was created in 1848 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Porto Alegre in 1910.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady Mother of God in Porto Alegre was built between 1921 and 1972 and has two bell towers.  See catedralportoalegre.com.br.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Caxias do Sul was created in 1934.
• The Diocese of Novo Hamburgo was created in 1980.
• The Diocese of Osorio was created in 1999.
• The Diocese of Montenegro was created in 2008.

Province of Curitiba (Parana)

The province consists of the southeastern part of the civil state of Parana.  The Diocese of Curitiba was established in 1892 and was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1926.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Light in Curitiba was established as a parish in 1668 and the current church was built between 1876 and 1893.  Pope John Paul II declared it a minor basilica in 1993.  The Archdiocese’s website is arquidiocesedecuritiba.org.br.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Ponta Grossa was created in 1926.
• The Diocese of Paranagua was created in 1962.
• The Diocese of Guarapuava was created in 1965.
• The Diocese of Uniao da Vitoria was created in 1976.
• The Diocese of Sao Jose dos Pinhais was created in 2006.

Province of Florianopolis (Santa Catarina)

The province consists of the civil state of Santa Catarina.  The Diocese of Santa Catarina was created in 1908 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Florianopolis in 1927.  The limestone Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Exile and St. Catherine of Alexandria in Florianopolis was constructed in a neo-classical style between 1753 and 1773.  The Cathedral’s website is catedralflorianopolis.org.br.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Tubarao was created in 1954.
• The Diocese of Criciuma was created in 1998.

Pope Francis subdivided the Province of Florianopolis by creating two new provinces in 2024.  The Diocese of Joinville, created in 1927, became an archdiocese.  Its cathedral is St. Francis Xavier and its suffragan dioceses are:

• The Diocese of Rio do Sul was created in 1968.
• The Diocese of Blumenau was created in 2000. 

The Diocese of Chapeco, created in 1958, became an archdiocese.  Its cathedral is St. Anthony of Padua and its suffragan dioceses are:

• The Diocese of Lages was created in 1927.
• The Diocese of Cacador was created in 1968.
• The Diocese of Joacaba was created in 1975.

Province of Londrina (Parana)

The province consists of the northeastern part of the civil state of Parana.  The Diocese of Londrina was created in 1956 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1970.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Londrina was built between 1954 and 1972 in a modern style.  The website is catedrallondrina.com.br.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Jacarezinho was created in 1926.
• The Diocese of Apucarana was created in 1964.
• The Diocese of Cornelio Procopio was created in 1973. 

Province of Cascavel (Parana)

The province consists of the southwestern part of the civil state of Parana.  The Diocese of Cascavel was established in 1978 and became a metropolitan archdiocese the following year.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Apparition in Cascavel was built between 1974 and 1978.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Toledo was created in 1959.
• The Diocese of Foz do Iguacu was created as a territorial prelature in 1926 and became a diocese in 1978.
• The Diocese of Palmas-Francisco Baltrao was created as a territorial prelature in 1933 and became the Diocese of Palmas in 1958.  It acquired its current name in 1987.

Province of Maringa (Parana)

The province consists of the northwestern part of the civil state of Parana.  The Diocese of Maringa was created in 1956 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1979.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Glory in Maringa was completed in 1972 and is the tallest church in South America.  The architect was inspired by the Soviet sputnik satellites in designing a church that rises almost 400 feet above the ground.  Pope John Paul II designated the cathedral as a minor basilica in 1982.  The archdiocesan website is arquidiocesemaringa.org.br.

From pinterest.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Campo Mourao was created in 1959.
• The Diocese of Paranavai was created in 1968.
• The Diocese of Umuarama was created in 1973.

Province of Passo Fundo (Rio Grande do Sul)

The province consists of the northern portion of the civil state of Rio Grande do Sul.  The Diocese of Passo Fundo was created in 1951 and it was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 2011.  The Metropolitan Cathedral in Passo Fundo is dedicated to Our Lady of the Apparition.  The archdiocesan website is arquidiocesedepassofundo.com.br.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Vacaria began as a territorial prelature in 1934 before becoming a diocese in 1957.
• The Diocese of Frederico Westphalen was created in 1961.
• The Diocese of Erexim was created in 1971.

Province of Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul)

The province consists of the southern portion of the civil state of Rio Grande do Sul.  The Diocese of Pelotas was created in 1910 and it was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 2011.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Francis of Paola Pelotas was built in the mid-19^th Century and has paintings by Brazil artists Aldo Locatelli and Emilio Sessa.

The first two pictures are from Flickr and the last is from pinterest.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Bage was created in 1960.
• The Diocese of Rio Grande was created in 1971.

Province of Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul)

The province consists of the west central portion of the civil state of Rio Grande do Sul.  The Diocese of Santa Maria was created in 1910 and it was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 2011.  The Metropolitan Cathedral in Santa Maria is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses. 

• The Diocese of Uruguaiana was created in 1910.
• The Diocese of Santa Cruz do Sul was created in 1959.
• The Diocese of Santo Angelo was created in 1961.
• The Diocese of Cruz Alta was created in 1971.
• The Diocese of Cachoeira do Sul was created in 1991.

Ukrainian Rite Province of Sao Joao Batista em Curitiba (Parana)

The province consists of Ukrainian rite Catholics in Brazil.  The Apostolic Exarchate of Brazil was created in 1962, became the Diocese of Sao Joao Batista em Curitiba in 1971 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Sao Joao Batista em Curitiba (St. John the Baptist in Curitiba) in 2014.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was built between 1953 and 1959.  See metropolia.org.br.

From the Archdiocesan website.

The Province has one suffragan diocese. 

• The Diocese of Imaculada Conceicao in Prudentopolis was created in 2014. 

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include territorial prelatures which are missionary dioceses led by a priest below the rank of a bishop. 

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell.  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.