ENDEBER, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. - Situated in the central-western part of Ethiopia, it was erected on 13 February 1940, with territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of Gimm (v.), namely the Guraghe-Hadia region, simultaneously with the apostolic prefecture of Hosanna, and, like the latter, was entrusted to the Capuchins. For the antecedents and causes of its erection V. OSANNA.
The prefecture of E. has an area of more than 4,000 sq. km. At the time of its erection it numbered approximately 400,000 inhabitants, the vast majority Muslims, the rest pagans and dissident Copts; 2,300 indigenous Catholics with 200 ensecomeni; Capuchins: 8 fathers and 8 lay brothers; 1 indigenous priest; some catechists; 5 principal and 3 secondary mission stations; 3 schools with 163 pupils. Because of the war, the Italian Capuchins assigned to the prefecture had to abandon it in 1942, and their departure resulted in the loss of a large part of the fruits of the missionary work accomplished up to that time. Subsequently, some indigenous priests of the Latin rite, coming from other parts of Ethiopia, were sent into the territory of the prefecture of E. to assist those Christian communities.
BRL.: AAS, 32 (1940), pp. 467-68; MC, p. 104; Archivio di Propaganda Fide, posizione n. prot. 190/40. Carlo Corvo