In a land area of 2,200.01 square kilometers, the diocesan territory covers the civil province of Camarines Norte.
Camarines Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet. One of the six provinces that make up Region V (Bicol), it is bounded on the north by the Pacific Ocean, in the east by the Pacific Ocean and San Miguel Bay, in the west of Lamon Bay, and in the south by Quezon province and the adjoining province of Camarines Sur.
Camarines Norte is a lone district composed of 12 towns (Capalonga, Sta. Elena, Jose Panganiban, Paracale, Vinzons, Labo, Talisay, Daet, Mercedes, San Vicente, Basud and San Lorenzo Ruiz) and 282 barangays.
In the diocesan territory, the population was 582,945 as of August 2016. Among the ethnic groups are the Agtas (Negritos).
Two principal dialects are spoken in the province; one is tagalog which is spoken by 60.0% of the whole population and Bikol which is spoken by 38.17%. The remaining 1.83% is the dialect spoken by Cebuano, Ilocano, Ibanag, Pangasinan, Waray, Maguindanao, Maranao, Binisaya, Binukid, Chinese and English.
The towns which dominantly speak Bikol dialects are: Daet, Basud, Mercedes, Talisay, San Vicente and San Lorenzo Ruiz, while the towns of Labo, Vinzons, Jose Panganiban, Paracale, Capalonga and Sta. Elena dominantly speaks Tagalog.
Suffragan of Caceres Created: May 27, 1974 Erected: September 1, 1974 Comprises the entire province of Camarines Norte (Region V) Titular: The Most Holy Trinity Diocesan Patron: St. Joseph the Worker, May 1
The history of Camarines Norte has been closely linked with that of its sister province, Camarines Sur since the sixteenth century. At that time they were just one province which the Spaniards called Tierra de Camarines - land of grain storehouses, as the place abounded with stored grain.
Christianity was first introduced in the Bicol area in 1569 by Fray Alonso Jimenez, OSA. Then Captain Andres Ibarra explored the region. Captain Juan Salcedo was reported to have passed through Paracale, founded a settlement which he named Ciudad de Caceres, after Caceres in Spain. In 1594 the Camarineses were placed under the jurisdiction of the Franciscans, and this arrangement lasted till the end of the Spanish regime.
In 1829 Ambos Camarines - both Camarineses - were separated into two provinces, but were merged again in 1824. They were separated again in 1857 and merged again in 1893. In 1919 the Philippine Legislature decreed the final separation of the single province into Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.
In 1595 the Diocese of Caceres was created, and covered the territories of the Camarineses, Albay, Masbate, Catanduanes, Samar and Tayabas. Bishop Luis Baldonado was its first bishop. In 1910 the Diocese of Lipa was established and took over the other provinces leaving only the Bicol Region to the Diocese of Caceres.
In 1951 the Diocese of Nueva Caceres became an archdiocese. On May 27, 1974 the Diocese of Daet was born and became a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Caceres. The Most Reverend Celestino Enverga was installed as its first bishop.
VISION: A community of disciples of Jesus Christ rooted in the Word of God, guided by the Magisterium and nourished by the Eucharist and the other Sacraments, responding to the signes of the times, promoting Love, Freedom, Justice and Peace and committed to the attainment of Salvation through total human development.
MISSION: To attain this vision, we, the people of God of the Dioceses of Daet, responding to the call of the Holy Spirit, commit ourselves to become a discerning, witnessing, caring and self-relying community of disciples through;
a) renewed evangelization, catechesis and education,
b) meaningful, participative and indigenous Liturgy,
c) deepening of Spirituality,
d) programs and projects of Social Action- Justice and Peace
e) formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities and Pastoral Councils,
f) integration and re- orientation of formerly mandated organizations,
g) youth formation, participation and involvement, and
h) promotion of responsible politics especially through the formation of conscience
The literacy rate (simple literacy) is 93 percent.
