ABIDJAN, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE. - The mission of the Ivory Coast, in West Africa, entrusted to the Society for African Missions of Lyon and erected as an apostolic prefecture on 28 June 1895, by division of the prefecture of the Gold Coast (v.), was elevated to a vicariate on 17 Nov. 1911. The adjustment of boundaries (decree of 18 Sept. 1905) with the vicariate of the Sahara in French Sudan (v. KHARTOUM) was followed by two important territorial changes: namely, the northern part of the Ivory Coast was detached in order to erect it as the apostolic prefecture of Korhogo (v.); then the western part was erected as the vicariate of Sassandra (v.), while the remaining mother mission assumed the name of A. (from the seat of the ordinary), as per the brief Quo intra fines, of 9 Apr. 1940. The surface area of the territory is 200,000 sq. km.; and the total population (approximate estimate of 1941) is about 680,000 inhabitants, among whom over 500,000 pagans, 75,100 Catholics (4,500 Europeans, with a few Syro-Lebanese) and 36,976 catechumens; 48,000 Protestants, about 25,000 Muslims. The 18 quasi-parishes are assisted by 391 catechists spread throughout the 507 secondary stations; churches and chapels 523.
The personnel consists of one secular priest and 33 missionaries, including two brothers of the African Missions of the province of Lyon, with 54 sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles (Venissieux). Instruction, entrusted to religious sisters and to 103 lay teachers, is carried on in district schools officially recognized and in other free schools and at orphanages and colleges: altogether in 91 elementary schools (3,095 pupils) and 19 secondary schools (3,291). Besides a preparatory seminary, there is the minor seminary, established in 1936 and moved to a new seat at Birgerville (28 students).
From the embryonic printing press of Grand-Bassam comes the periodical La Côte d'Ivoire Chrétienne (1,500 copies). Almost all the villages have been evangelized, except in the districts of Bouaké and Dimbokro; the movement of conversions is rapidly increasing, even among the Baule, previously resistant.
Schools and charitable and social works (especially in the working-class center of Treicheville) and youth associations of Catholic Action contribute to spiritual progress, even amid difficulties and obstacles (scarcity of personnel, enormous distances, lack of communications, Muslim proselytism, due especially to the traders of the Dule race, coming from the north).
BIBL.: sources