BULAWAYO, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - The city of B., at about 1362 m. on the high plateau, is situated on the route of the great railway from the Cape to the Congo, in a region with a healthy climate. It has 30,000 inhabitants, of whom over 12,000 are Whites. The mission of B. was created in 1931 with territory taken from Salisbury (v.), entrusting its care to the Missionaries of Mariannhill, who had already been working in the region for several years. It was then elevated to a prefecture in 1932 and to an apostolic vicariate in 1937.
The vicariate comprises the southwestern region of Southern Rhodesia, plus a large part of the Bechuanaland Protectorate: the area is 367,298 sq km. with a population of about 362,000 souls, hence the difficulty for the missionary of the great distances to be covered.
Alongside and in support of direct evangelization, the fathers, particularly well equipped, give much prominence to cultural and socio-economic activity. In 1934 the first Carmelites (English) were received with great festivities; they founded a cloister there, which soon attracted native vocations. The Dominicans (50 already in 1935) devote themselves to schools for the European element. The progress of the mission is, however, slow: in 1935 Catholics numbered 4,854, among them 1,200 Europeans. In 1938 the governor of Southern Rhodesia paid a visit to the mission, expressing satisfaction with the work accomplished both in the schools and in the hospitals. According to the latest statistics of 1948, Catholics number 12,115, catechumens 1,616, directed by 13 fathers and 7 coadjutor brothers assisted by 101 sisters of three different Congregations. Primary stations 9, secondary 91; elementary schools 105 with 4,379 pupils, middle schools 56 with 2,260 pupils, higher schools 17 with 601 pupils, vocational 2 with 67 pupils, normal 1 with 60 pupils. Various papers with very small print runs are published there.
Bibliography2 works
Giovanni B. Tragella