Until the 1990s, the entirety of East Timor comprised one ecclesiastical territory, the Diocese of Dili.[1] In 1996, the Diocese of Baucau was formed.[1] After independence in 2002, the Holy See planned to create a third diocese centered in Same so that East Timor could form its own episcopal conference.[2][3] However, these plans stalled around 2005 amidst ongoing changes by the government to the country's administrative subdivision boundaries.[2][3]
At the time of its creation, the diocese consisted of just over 200,000 Catholics, representing 98% of the population, and served by 10 parishes, 31 priests (six diocesan and 25 religious), and 108 religious brothers and sisters.[4][9] The parish church of Maliana became the diocese's new cathedral, and the government provided funding and a building for a temporary residence for the bishop.[5][6] On 17 February 2019, a new episcopal palace and chancery building were inaugurated in a ceremony attended by bishops Amaral, Virgílio do Carmo da Silva of Dili, Basílio do Nascimento of Baucau, and former President Xanana Gusmão.[10] The new buildings were constructed with public funds provided by the prime minister's office.[10] As of 2022, the diocese has grown to nearly 300,000 Catholics, and now has 11 parishes and 65 missions served by 50 priests and 184 religious brothers and sisters.[1][7]
The diocese is led by its bishop, Norberto do Amaral, who is assisted by vicar general Lucio Norberto de Deus.[1] As of 2022, the diocese has 22 secular priests, with 58 seminarians in formation.[1][7] Additionally, there are 28 religious priests, 73 religious brothers, and 121 religious sisters living and working in the diocese.[1] In 2021, there were 416 catechists in the diocese.[1]
Fundação Sagrado Coração de Jesus (Sacred Heart of Jesus Foundation) oversees all of the Diocese of Maliana's schools.[1] The diocese operates seven preschools with 291 total students, 19 primary schools and eight junior high schools with 6,122 total students, and five senior high schools with a total enrollment of 1,148.[1] The diocese also runs an orphanage.[1] Secondary schools administered by the diocese include Ave Maria in Suai, Infante de Sagres College in Maliana, and São João de Brito in Liquiçá.[11][12] Other Catholic schools located in the diocese include Cristal Private Secondary School in Maliana, Divine Word College in Palaca, and St. Ignatius of Loyola College in Kasait, founded by the Society of Jesus in 2013.[11][13] The diocese is also home to Don Bosco Technical School near Maliana, established in 2013 by the Salesians with funding from the Timorese and Spanish governments, which provides vocational training to 100+ boarding students.[14][15] The diocese contains one Catholic higher education institution, St. John de Britto Institute, a Jesuit teachers' college in Kasait.[13]
On 26 September 2017, the Diocese of Maliana established a minor seminary, St. Joseph Seminary, with an initial enrollment of 22 students located in a renovated diocesan school building.[16] Previously, minor seminarians from the diocese attended the Seminary of Our Lady of Fatima in Dili, which served the country's three dioceses and which had only 90 spots each year for more than 300 applicants.[16] Major seminarians from the diocese attend the interdiocesan St. Peter and St. Paul Seminary in Dili.[17]
