The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paraíba (Latin: Archidioecesis Parahybensis) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese, named after the city of João Pessoa, which used to be named Paraíba, in southeastern Brazil.
Established on April 27, 1892 as Diocese of Paraiba, on territory split off from the then Diocese of Olinda
Lost territory on 1909.12.29 to establish the then Diocese of Natal (now Metropolitan itself)
Promoted on February 6, 1914 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Paraíba, having lost territory to establish its senior suffragan, the Diocese of Cajazeiras
As per 2014, it pastorally served 1,288,000 Catholics (82.8% of 1,556,103 total) on 6,703 km² in 89 parishes and 8 missions with 151 priests (116 diocesan, 35 religious), 37 deacons, 259 lay religious (41 brothers, 218 sisters) and 45 seminarians.
Auxiliary Bishop: Manuel Pereira da Costa (1954.05.31 – 1959.06.20), Titular Bishop of Knin (1954.05.31 – 1959.06.20); later Bishop of Nazaré (Brazil) (1959.06.20 – 1962.08.23), Bishop of Campina Grande (Brazil) (1962.08.23 – retired 1981.05.20), died 2006
Mário de Miranda Villas-Boas (1959.06.20 – retired 1965.05.18), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Gibba (1965.05.18 – death 1968.02.23); previously Bishop of Garanhuns (Brazil) (1938.05.26 – 1944.09.10), Metropolitan Archbishop of Belém do Pará (Brazil) (1944.09.10 – 1956.10.23), Titular Archbishop of Cyrrhus (1956.10.23 – 1959.06.20) as never succeeding Coadjutor Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (1956.10.23 – 1959.06.20)
José Maria Pires (1965.12.02 – retired 1995.11.29); previously Bishop of Araçuaí (Brazil) (1957.05.25 – 1965.12.02)
Marcelo Pinto Carvalheira (1995.11.29 – retired 2004.05.05), also Vice-President of National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (1998 – 2003); previously Titular Bishop of Bitylius (1975.10.29 – 1981.11.09) as Auxiliary Bishop of Paraíba (1975.10.29 – 1981.11.09), Bishop of Guarabira (Brazil) (1981.11.09 – 1995.11.29)
