GULU, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - It is located in the northern part of Uganda (British East Africa) and is entrusted to the Congregation of the Sons of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (African Missions of Verona).
It has an area of approximately 81,425 sq km.; it comprises the whole of West Nile, the districts of Acoli, Karamoja and almost the whole district of Lango, except its southern part, which belongs to the apostolic vicariate of the Upper Nile. It has a population of approximately 1,038,000 inhabitants (1948 census). It derives from the apostolic vicariate of Bahr-el-Ghazal (today, in part, the apostolic prefecture of Bahr-el-Gebel), from which the apostolic prefecture of the Equatorial Nile was detached and erected (12 June 1923), which underwent a boundary adjustment in 1927 and on 10 Dec. 1934 was elevated to an apostolic vicariate. On 1 Dec. 1950 its name was changed to that of G.
It has 150,135 Catholics, of whom 149,843 are natives and 292 foreigners, with 10,315 catechumens, approximately 86,000 Protestants, 36,580 Muslims and 755,000 pagans; 10 native priests, 38 foreign priests with 24 lay missionary brothers of Verona, 7 brothers of the Sacred Heart of the Province of New Orleans (U.S.A.) and 2 Xaverians of Baltimore, 48 sisters of the Pious Mothers of Africa (sisters of Verona) and 16 native sisters with 1 novitiate and 8 novices; 1 regional major seminary with 32 students (of whom 11 are from G.), 1 minor seminary with 56 students and 1 preparatory seminary with 28 students; 536 catechists and 10 catechist women; 377 certified male teachers and 39 certified female teachers; 10 quasi-parishes with 6 principal stations; 58 churches and 282 chapels; 10 dispensaries with 134,650 annual consultations; 1 orphanage with 15 orphans; 1 leprosarium with 15 inmates; 3 kindergartens with 47 boys and 48 girls; schools: 104 elementary with 13,654 boys and 85 girls; 5 secondary with 300 boys and 19 girls; 1 technical with 82 boys; 5 teacher-training with 143 boys and 30 girls; 3 for catechists with 107 boys and 16 girls; 340 prayer schools with 6,193 boys and 4,158 girls. There are moreover numerous elementary schools and one private technical school. In 1949 there were 7,911 baptisms of adults, 5,977 of children and 3,966 in «articulo mortis». The lay associations of charity and of Catholic Action are flourishing.