ASABA-BENIN, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - The mission, entrusted to the Society for African Missions of Lyon, originated from the apostolic prefecture of Upper Niger, which took the name of Western Nigeria (1911) and was elevated to a vicariate on 24 Aug. 1918. After a part of its territory was detached in 1911 for the creation of the prefecture of Eastern Nigeria, another very vast region was annexed to that same prefecture; two zones were ceded in 1943, with the erection of the prefecture of Ondo-Iforin.

The area of the territory is about 30,000 sq km and the total population about 1,200,000 inhabitants, of whom over 1,000,000 are pagans, about 200,000 Muslims, about 36,000 Catholics and 42,000 Protestants. Personnel: 42 foreign priests, with 4 indigenous ones, 14 nuns. Evangelization, in the footsteps of the pioneers, the apostolic prefects J. Poirier (1884-93) and C. Zappa (1894-1919), progresses among the various linguistic groups (Etsako, Sobo, Ibo, Kwane, etc.), supported by a good school organization: 249 elementary schools with 28,000 pupils; 55 secondary schools with 2439 pupils, 3 normal schools with 200 pupils. There is a major seminary at Benin City.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: Guida delle Missioni Cattoliche, Rome [1935], p. 247; MC, p. 21.

Giuseppe Monticone

@incollection{ec2_asaba_benin_vicariato_apostoli, author = {Monticone, Giuseppe}, title = {Asaba-Benin, vicariato apostolico di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {II}, pages = {75}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/asaba-benin-vicariato-apostolico-di} }

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Asaba-Benin, Apostolic Vicariate of

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