DODOMA, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE di. - In Tanganyika, it comprises the civil districts of D. and Kondoa-Irangi, in the « Central Province of Tanganyika Territory », under British mandate, and has an area of 55,000 sq. km. It is inhabited by approximately 500,000 inhabitants, chiefly belonging to the two tribes of the Wagogo and the Kondoa-Irangi, cattle-breeders and cultivators (especially of millet), of whom 330,000 are pagans, 25,000 Catholics, 22,500 Muslims, and 15,000 Protestants. D. is a pleasant town, seat of the central province of Tanganyika and a stop on the London-Cape air route; a Protestant “bishop” resides there, whereas the apostolic prefect has chosen his residence in the more promising centre of Kondoa-Irangi.
The prefecture was erected in 1935 Bagamoyo (v.), from Kilimanjaro, and from Iringa, and entrusted to the Passionists. The new missionaries inherited several stations, some dating back to the pre-war Bavarian Benedictines, fairly well established, and opened new ones, with their respective primary and catechist schools, as well as several dispensaries (9). In their apostolate the Passionists (23 fathers and 9 brothers) are assisted by one indigenous priest, 17 sisters, 5 of them indigenous, and 363 indigenous catechists.
The mission further has 3,267 catechumens and a minor seminary with 57 young aspirants.