Deaneries
Original title: Arciprestados
Describes the recent division of the Diocese of Funchal into four archpriest districts (Funchal, Calheta, Santa Cruz and São Jorge), each grouping the parishes of several municipalities. The archpriest is appointed by the bishop from among the district's parish priests.
A few years ago the Diocese of Funchal was divided, for the purposes of its ecclesiastical administration, into four deaneries (arciprestado, group of parishes under an archpriest), or groups of parishes. They are:
- that of Funchal, which comprises the parishes of the municipalities of Funchal, Câmara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava and Porto Santo
- that of Calheta (‘small cove’), covering the parishes of the municipalities of Calheta and Ponta do Sol (‘point of the sun’)
- that of Santa Cruz (‘Holy Cross’), made up of the parishes of the municipalities of Santa Cruz and Machico
- and that of São Jorge (‘St George’), comprising the parishes of the municipalities of Santana, São Vicente and Porto Moniz.
The office of archpriest is filled by episcopal appointment and held by one of the parish priests of the deanery.
In this article
Place
Places mentioned · 12
- Calheta
Municipality giving its name to the Calheta archpriest district.
Calheta is a town and municipality in western Madeira, created by royal charter of 1 July 1502. It later became the seat of a countship granted to the captains of Funchal and was reorganised as a concelho in 1835.
- Câmara de Lobos
Municipality belonging to the Funchal archpriest district.
Câmara de Lobos is a municipality of Madeira whose seat was historically a 'lugar' rather than a vila. The Elucidário quotes Gaspar Frutuoso's description of it and outlines the creation of the concelho in 1835 and later changes to its parishes.
- Funchal
Municipality included in, and giving its name to, the Funchal archpriest district.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Machico
Municipality belonging to the Santa Cruz archpriest district.
Machico is a town and municipality of Madeira set in a valley. The Elucidário traces its municipal history from its probable creation around 1451, through the loss of territory to Santa Cruz, São Vicente and Santana. It also records its arms, its privileges and its new town hall of 1929.
- Ponta do Sol
Municipality belonging to the Calheta archpriest district.
Town and municipality of Ponta do Sol on Madeira, an early sugar-producing centre raised to a town in 1501. The Elucidário traces the changes in its municipal territory and its role as seat of a judicial district (comarca).
- Porto Moniz
Municipality belonging to the São Jorge archpriest district.
North-western parish and municipality with a quay and a tolerable port that serves as a good landing when southerly winds close the south coast. It has one of the oldest Magdalene chapels in northern Madeira, whose feast falls on 22 July. It was the birthplace of Dr Manuel Gomes Jardim.
- Porto Santo
Municipality belonging to the Funchal archpriest district.
An island of the archipelago, settled alongside Madeira and forming one of the three captaincies. It has always constituted a single parish, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Piedade, whose church was repeatedly sacked. The Elucidário records the Moorish pirate raid of 1617, its own Misericórdia and a rainwater channel built on this drought-prone island.
- Ribeira Brava
Municipality belonging to the Funchal archpriest district.
Municipality of Madeira created in 1914 from parishes of Ponta do Sol and Câmara de Lobos. Its seat, the sítio of Lugar, was raised to the status of vila in 1928.
- Santa Cruz
Municipality giving its name to the Santa Cruz archpriest district.
Santa Cruz is a town and municipality in eastern Madeira, raised to the status of vila in 1515 within the captaincy of Machico. The Elucidário covers its customs house, its Misericórdia, its rivalry with Machico and later changes to its boundaries.
- Santana
Municipality belonging to the São Jorge archpriest district.
Municipality on Madeira's north coast, created in 1835. It lost Porto da Cruz to Machico in 1852 and was briefly abolished in 1867.
- São Jorge
Santana. Gives its name to the northern archpriest district.
North-coast parish that was an original parish of Santana municipality and gives its name to the northern archpriest district. It is known for plant-fossil and lignite deposits studied by Heer and Bunbury, and for a 17th-century landslide. The Elucidário also describes its islet, headland, quay and stream.
- São Vicente
Municipality belonging to the São Jorge archpriest district.
São Vicente is a town and municipality on Madeira's north coast. It was raised to a town (vila) by royal charter in 1744 to free the northern parishes from distant Machico, and was reorganised as a municipality in 1835. The entry also covers later boundary changes involving Porto Moniz and plans to move the municipal seat.