GULU, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. — It is situated 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 and Karamoja, and almost the entire district of Lango, except for 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 (now, in part, the Apostolic Prefecture of Bahr-el-Gebel), from which the Apostolic Prefecture of Equatorial Nile was separated and erected (12 June 1923); this underwent a boundary adjustment in 1927 and on 10 December 1934 was raised to an apostolic vicariate. On 1 December 1950 its name was changed to that of G.
It has 150,135 Catholics, of whom 149,843 are indigenous and 292 foreign, with 10,315 catechumens; approximately 86,000 Protestants, 36,580 Muslims and 755,000 pagans; 10 indigenous priests, 38 foreign priests, with 24 missionary lay brothers from Verona, 7 Brothers of the Sacred Heart from the Province of New Orleans (U.S.A.) and 2 Xaverians from Baltimore; 48 sisters of the Pious Mothers of the Nigrizia (Sisters of Verona) and 16 indigenous 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 male catechists and 10 female catechists; 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 consultations annually; 1 orphanage with 15 orphans; 1 leprosarium with 15 residents; 3 kindergartens with 47 boys and 48 girls; schools: 104 primary schools with 13,654 male pupils and 85 female pupils; 5 secondary schools with 300 male pupils and 19 female pupils; 1 technical school with 82 male pupils; 5 teacher-training schools with 143 male pupils and 30 female pupils; 3 schools for catechists with 107 male pupils and 16 female pupils; 340 prayer schools with 6,193 male pupils and 4,158 female pupils. There are also numerous private primary 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 Catholic Action are flourishing.