Ibagu€, Diocese op (Ibaguensis), suffragan of Bogota, in the Republic of Colombia, South America. Owing to the difficulties of providing adequately for the spiritual needs of the people over the wide area of the Diocese of Tolima, that see was suppressed by decree of 20 June, 1900, and two new bishoprics were formed in its stead: Ibagu6 and Garzon. Ibagud has jurisdiction over the two provinces that constitute the northern and central portions of the republic. The town of Ibagu6 (San Bonifacio de Ibagu6) is the capital of the Department of Tolima, and is pictur- esquely situated on a fertile plain, about sixty miles west of Bogotd, at an altitude of more than 4000 feet above sea-level. This city, the seat of the bishopric, is located in the centre of a prosperous district, and dates from 1550. It was for a short time (1854) the capital of the republic. The first and actual bishop of the diocese, Mgr. Ismael Perdomo, was born at El Gigante, now in the Diocese of Garzon, 22 Feb., 1872. On 29 April, 1903, he was elected to govern the Diocese of Ibagu^; he received episcopal consecration at Rome on 19 June, and on 25 June was preconized. The number of Catholics in the diocese is computed, approximately, at 250,000. The cathedral, which is in process of construction, will be dedicated to the Immaculate Conception (see Bogot.4; Garzon).
Battandier, Ann. Pont. Cath. (1909); Reinhold in Bdch- BERGER, Kirchliches Handlex., s.v.
P. J. MacAuley.
Ibar, Saint, a pre-Patrician Irish saint, who la- boured in the present County Wexford from 425 to 450, recognized the jurisdiction of St. Patrick, and was confirmed in his episcopacy. Thus, though a mission- ary before the arrival of the great national apostle, St. Ibar was a contemporary of St. Patrick, and is re- garded as the patron of Begerin, in Wexford harbour. Although at first not disposed to yield to St. Patrick he afterwards submitted and became his disciple. Much obscurity attaches to his early training, but about the year 480 he settled at Begerin, where he built an oratory and cell. In the " Life of St. Abban" it is stated that St. Ibar's retreat was soon peopled with numerous disciples from all parts of Ireland, and the " Litany of Aengus" invokes the three thousand confessors who placed themselves under St. Ibar's direction. His nephew, St. Abban, as a boy of twelve came to Begerin in St. Ibar's old age and accompanied him to Rome. His name is variously written Ibar, Ibe- rius, and Ivor, and his death is chronicled in the year 500 on 2.3 April, on which day his feast is observed. Although Begerin was formerly an island in the north of Wexford harbour, it has long since been one of the reclaimed Sloblands.
CoLOAN, Ada .S'.S. Hib. (Louvain. 1645); O'Hanlon, Lives of the Irish Saints (Dublin, a. d.), IV; Healy, Ireland's ancient schools and scholars (4th ed., Dublin, 1902); Idem, Life and Writings of St. Patrick (Dublin, 1905); Hore, History of the Town and County of Wexford, V (London, 1906).
W. H. Grattan-Flood.
Ibarra, Diocese op (Ibahrensis), in Northern Ecuador, suffragan of Quito, created by Pius IX, 29 December, 1862, out of the provinces of Carchi and Imbabura, previously within the Archdiocese of Quito. Francesco Jabani, the Apostolic Delegate,
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named as executor of the Bull the Bishop of Antioqufa
(Colombia), Antonio Riaiio, at that time in exile at
Quito, under whom the canonical erection of the
Dioce.se of Ibarra took place 6 August, 1865. For two
months Bishop Riafio took charge of the diocese as
administrator Apostolic, and was succeeded by Jose
Maria Jerovi, later Archbishop of Quito, and Arsenio
Andrade, afterwards Bishop of Riobamba. Finally,
in April, 1867, Jos(S Ignacio Checa y Barbo was ap-
pointed first Bishop of Ibarra, but in June of the
following year was transferred to the archiepiscopal
see of Quito, being succeeded in June, 1869, in the
diocese of Ibarra by Tomils Antonio Iturralde, who
resigned in 1875. The next two bishops Pedro
Rafael Gonzdlez Calixto (1876-93) and Federico
Gonzdlez Sudrez (1895-1906) were later appointed
Archbishops of Quito. The present (fifth) incum-
bent is Ulpiano P^rez Quinonez, born 4 August, 1863,
at Quito, ordained in 1887, later professor and rec-
tor of the seminary at Atocha, in 1895 made canon,
in 1898 vicar-general of Quito, and appointed to the
Bishopric of Ibarra, 11 January, 1907, being conse-
crated on 19 May of the same year at Quito.
Statistics. — According to a communication from the bishop dated 23 May, 1907, the diocese has an area of 3661 sq. miles, with a Catholic population of 104,000, including 36,000 in the province of Carchi (Tulcan, the capital, alone comprising 5000), and 68,000 in the province of Imbabura (Ibarra, the capital and seat of the diocese, numbering 5600). The 28 parishes of the diocese are divided among 8 deaneries (vicariatos foraneos) : Tulcan, S. Gabriel, and Mira, in the province of Carchi; Otavalo, Cota- cachi, Urcuqui, Hatuntaqui, and Ibarra {foraneo central), in the province of Imbabura. In addition to the 55 secular priests, 2 Dominicans and 2 Merce- darians devote themselves to the care of souls, each order having a church at Ibarra. The Discalced Carmelite Sisters have a community of 14 sisters at Ibarra; the Bethlehemites, an academy for girls at Ibarra and one at Tulcan ; the Sisters of Mercy, schools for girls at Ibarra and Otavalo and a hospital and orphan asylum at Ibarra. In addition to the primary grammar schools there are at Ibarra a preparatory seminary (Seminario Conciliar S. Didaco) and the national college of S. Alfonso, besides a national col- lege at Tulcan. Candidates for the priesthood study in the seminary at Quito. The cathedral chap- ter, erected 18 June, 1866, consists of 12 canons, in- cluding 2 dignitaries (dean and archdean) and 4 offi- cials {theologalis, doctoralis, magistralis, pcenitenliarius) . The city of Ibarra, founded 28 September, 1606, which in 1906 celebrated the tercentenary of its foundation, with great splendour, was repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes, and on the night of 15-16 August, 1868, razed to the grounrl. It has since partially recovered from the catastrophe, and contains, besides the cathedral, the parish church of S. Augustin and the churches connected with the monasteries of the Dominicans (S. Domingo) and the Mercedarians (Nuestra Senora de la Merced), the church formerly in charge of the Capuchins (S. Francisco), and that of S. Maria del Carmen. There are also 6 public chapels. The confraternities which have been canonically
