Catholic Church. Diocese of Durango (Mexico)

The Diocese of Durango (Guadiana) was created in the Nueva Vizcaya region of New Spain in 1620. This bishopric, of uncertain bounderies, approximately contained today's Mexican states of Durango and Chihuahua, parts of the states of New Mexico and Texas, and southern Colorado. The See of Durango was enlarged in 1632 by the addition of Sinaloa and Sonora, which it controlled until 1779. By the mid nineteenth century, the northern portions of the See were reassigned. In 1850 parts of New Mexico and Arizona were assigned to the Vicariate Apostolic of New Mexico and to the Diocese of Galveston. Portions of west Texas and southern New Mexico remained subject to jurisdictional disputes until the 1870's. In 1869 the Vicariate of Arizona was created, encompassing parts of New Mexico and Sonora. In 1891 the Diocese of Chihuahua was formed from the northern portion of the Durango diocese.