Archdiocese of Davao

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The Archdiocese of Davao is a Catholic area in the southern part of Mindanao, Philippines. It covers Davao City, the Island Garden City of Samal, and the municipality of Talaingod in Davao del Norte. It oversees three neighboring dioceses: Digos, Tagum, and Mati. It belongs to the Latin Church and uses the Roman Rite.

History and status
- It began as a Prelature Nullius on December 17, 1949, with Cebu as its metropolitan archdiocese.
- It was raised to the status of a diocese on July 11, 1966, and became an archdiocese on June 29, 1970.
- The archbishop’s seat is the Cathedral of St. Peter (San Pedro Cathedral) in Davao City. Saint Peter the Apostle is its patron.

Leadership
- The first prelate was Clovis Thibault, appointed in 1954.
- Antonio Mabutas served as bishop from 1972 and became archbishop in 1996.
- Fernando Capalla was coadjutor in 1994 and archbishop from 1996 to 2012.
- The current archbishop is Romulo Valles, appointed in 2012.

People and parishes
- The archdiocese covers about 2,443 square kilometers.
- As of 2021, about 2.1 million people live in the area, with around 1.64 million Catholics, making up roughly 78% of the population.
- There are 39 parishes.

For more information, visit archdioceseofdavao.com.