Fort Lamy, Apostolic Prefecture of
In French Equatorial Africa, it was created on 9 January 1947 with territory detached from the Apostolic Vicariates of Foumbian and Khartoum. Together with the Apostolic Prefecture of Berberati and the Apostolic Vicariate of Bangui, territorial exchanges were made so that the boundaries of the new prefecture would coincide with the civil boundaries of the colony of Tchad, which is part of French Equatorial Africa. It is entrusted to the Jesuits.
The vast territory of approximately 1,180,000 sq. km. is divided into various districts, of which those of Kamen, Bartha, and Ouadai are Muslim, those of Salamat and Chari-Baguirmi are Islamized, and the districts of Mayo-Kebbi, Logone, and Moyen-Chari are animist. The new prefecture therefore has the purpose of halting the Muslim advance from north to south. The capital is Fort Lamy on Lake Tchad. The climate is very hot. The population is approximately 1,400,000 inhabitants, of whom 1,000,000 are Muslim, 400,000 pagan, 1,500 Protestant, 993 Catholic, and 1,000 catechumens. There are 7 Jesuit missionaries, 2 brothers, and 11 sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles, distributed in 6 primary and 2 secondary stations. Three elementary schools are open with numerous pupils. The climate, the Muslim environment, the multiplicity of spoken dialects, as well as the competition from Protestants, make the work of the missionaries very difficult.