BIKORO, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF. - On 10 September 1926 the first Lazarists arrived at B. (Belgian Congo) to evangelize the district of the same name, situated along the middle Congo, shortly before (28 January of that year) ceded by the vicariate of New Antwerp to the apostolic prefecture of Coquilhatville (formerly Thsuapa).
The same district, enlarged by a part of the territory on the left bank of the Congo River, from Irebu to the confluence with the Kasai, near Kwamouth, belonging to the vicariate of Léopoldville, initially constituted (3 January 1931) the mission sui iuris of B., which later became a prefecture (25 June 1940).
Area of the territory 60,000 sq km; total population (approximate estimate) 79,812 inhabitants, of whom in 1948 Catholics 12,608 and catechumens 8,050, Protestants 11,135, pagans 50,590. The missionaries number 12, brothers 4, sisters 12, catechists 140. Primary stations 6, secondary 143, elementary schools 57 with 3,208 pupils.
The mission develops normally, even where the Protestants came first (regions of Bolobo, Tondo, etc.), as well as among the Batwa (equatorial pygmies), one of the most primitive populations (station of Bolongo, founded in 1936). Everywhere the works of charity (assistance to motherhood and infancy, care of lepers) win the hearts of the natives, with the cooperation also of the strong nucleus of catechists and teachers, the latter coming from the school of Bamanya (Coquilhatville).
Bibliography6 worksAAS, 18 (1926): 23 (1931), pp. 328-29; 32 (1940), pp. 538-39; Abbé Corman, Annuaire des Missions Catholiques au Congo Belge. Bruxelles 1935,
BIBL.: AAS, 18 (1926): 23 (1931), pp. 328-29; 32 (1940), pp. 538-39; Abbé Corman, Annuaire des Missions Catholiques au Congo Belge. Bruxelles 1935, pp. 266-73; Guida delle Missioni Cattoliche, Roma 1935, p. 262; MC, pp. 47-48; archivio di Prop. Fide, Prospectus status missionis, pos. n. prot. 3902/48.
Monticone, Giuseppe. “Bikoro, prefettura apostolica di.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, col. 1635. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949. https://azioneromana.com/article/bikoro-prefettura-apostolica-di.
MLA
Monticone, Giuseppe. “Bikoro, prefettura apostolica di.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949, col. 1635. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/bikoro-prefettura-apostolica-di.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec2_bikoro_prefettura_apostolica_d,
author = {Monticone, Giuseppe},
title = {Bikoro, prefettura apostolica di},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {II},
pages = {1635},
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/bikoro-prefettura-apostolica-di}
}
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