Santiago de Chile, Archdiocese of (), comprises the civil Provinces of Aconcagua (area 6226 square miles), Valparaiso (area 1659 square miles), Santiago (area 5223 square miles), O'Higgins (2524 square miles, this province is named after the liberator of Chile, Bernard O'Higgins), Colchagua (area 3795 square miles), Curico (area 2913 square miles), and Talcas (area 3678 square miles), and the islands of Juan Fernandez, and extends from the River Choapa, which separates it from the Diocese of Serena, to the River Maule, which forms the boundary line between it and the Diocese of Concepcion. Its area is 26,018 square miles, and its population is estimated at 1,600,000, of whom 14,000 are non-Catholics. Erected by Pius IV in 1561 as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lima, it comprised all of Chile and the Argentine Provinces of Cuyo and Tucuman. This extensive territory was gradually subdivided, portions being taken to form new dioceses. In 1563 the entire southern portion of Chile from the River Biobio was separated to form the Diocese of Imperial, the present Diocese of Concepcion. In 1570 Tucuman was separated to form the Diocese of Cordova, the Province of Cuyo being added in 1806. In 1840 Santiago was raised to metropolitan rank by Gregory XVI, the Diocese of Serena being also erected by him, taking from Santiago all the territory which lay north of the River Choapa. The archdiocese has three suffragan dioceses: Concepcion, Serena, and Ancud. The principal cities are: Santiago (area eight square miles), the capital of Chile, has 400,000 inhabitants; Valparaiso, 170,000; Talca, 42,000; Curico, 19,000; Quillota, 12,000; Villa del Mar, 27,000; and San Felipe, 11,000. Twenty-one bishops and four archbishops have governed the diocese, the Most Rev. Juan Ignacio Gonzalez being the present incumbent. The cathedral is a beautiful three-naved stone edifice, Roman in style; it is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, was built in the eighteenth century, and was restored during the latter part of the nineteenth century by Archbishop Casanova. It is 321 feet long, 95 feet wide, and 52 feet high. The cathedral chapter is composed of a dean, archdeacon, precentor, mcestre escuela, treasurer, and eight canons.
The archdiocese is divided into 117 parishes. Valparaiso and Talca are governed by ecclesiastical governors who are invested with some episcopal jurisdiction. The churches and public chapels number about 481, and semi-public oratories are very numerous. There are 20 religious institutes of men, with 905 members and 76 houses, and 29 religious orders of women, with 1727 members and 120 houses. The secular clergy number 412, and the regular 451. There are three seminaries, with 43 students, and a Catholic university, with 619 students. The latter has faculties of law, engineering, mines, architecture, agriculture, and a course in engineering. The Institute of Humanities, which is attached to the university, has 400 pupils. In the secondary schools, for men as well as for women, directed by the secular clergy or members of religious institutes, 5140 students are in attendance. Primary instruction is given to more than 25,000 children in the parochial and other schools under religious direction. Normal schools for teachers are directed by the Christian Brothers, for men, and by the Salesians and the Society of St. Thomas Aquinas, for women. There are 35 hospitals in the archdiocese under the patronage of the State, the municipalities, the Church, or private individuals; 30 of these are under the care of religious, as are also the lunatic asylums and houses for deaf-mutes. The Little Sisters of the Poor conduct two homes for the aged, and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd have houses of correction for women, and ten asylums for penitents. More than 300 missions are preached annually in the archdiocese to prepare the people for complying with the Easter precept, and more than 15,000 persons make retreats in the 19 houses which are dedicated to this purpose.