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 a surface area of approximately 81,425 sq. km.; it comprises the entire West Nile, the districts of Acoli, Karamoja, and almost the whole 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 (census of 1948). It derives from the Apostolic Vicariate of Bahr-el-Ghazal (today, in part, Apostolic Prefecture of Bahr-el-Ghazal), from which the Apostolic Prefecture of Equatorial Nile was detached and erected (12 June 1923), which underwent a boundary adjustment in 1927 and on 10 December 1934 was elevated to an Apostolic Vicariate. On 1 December 1950, it had its name changed to that of Gulu.
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 lay missionary brothers from Verona, 7 Brothers of the Sacred Heart of the Province of New Orleans (U.S.A.), and 2 Cavanaugh priests from Baltimore; 48 sisters of the Pious Mothers of the Niger (Verona sisters) and 16 indigenous sisters with 1 novitiate and 8 novices; 1 regional major seminary with 32 students (11 of whom are from Gulu), 1 minor seminary with 50 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 main stations; 58 churches and 282 chapels; 10 dispensaries with 134,650 annual consultations; 1 orphanage with 15 orphans; 1 leper colony with 15 residents; 3 infant schools with 47 boys and 48 girls; 104 elementary schools with 13,654 male and 85 female students; 5 secondary schools with 300 male and 19 female students; 1 technical school with 82 male students; 5 teacher-training schools with 143 male and 30 female students; 3 schools for catechists with 107 male and 16 female students; 340 prayer schools with 6,103 male and 4,158 female students. There are also numerous private elementary and technical schools. In 1949, there were 7,911 adult baptisms, 5,977 infant baptisms, and 3,966 baptisms in articulo mortis. The lay charitable and Catholic Action associations are flourishing.