Buta, Apostolic Vicariate of

BUTA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - Formerly an apostolic vicariate of western Uellè in the Belgian Congo, it was created under this name as an apostolic prefecture in 1898, elevated to a vicariate in 1924; it is entrusted to the Premonstratensian fathers of the abbey of Tongerloo (Belgium). In 1926 the northern part of Uellè was detached (v. BONDO) from the vicariate, which remained limited to the part south of the river. In 1932 the Protestants penetrated into the mission, but their results are quite modest. The Catholic mission is making growing progress, favored, especially in the school and charitable sector, by the Marist Brothers, and by four Congregations of sisters. Several Premonstratensian fathers and brothers hold diplomas in tropical medicine. Professional and agricultural instruction is highly developed (every central school also includes agronomy in its program): the missionaries' indigenous literary production, whether religious or purely scholastic, is also rich.

At present (1948) the vicariate (area 60,000 sq km) has a population of 245,000 inhabitants, of whom 41,697 are Catholics and 7,338 catechumens, about 1,000 Protestants and 203,000 pagans. The fathers number 43, of whom four are indigenous, the brothers 41, the sisters 74, the catechists 381. A vast network of charitable works and pious associations facilitates the apostolate.

Giovanni B. Tragella