IPAMU, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. - It is situated in the central-western part of the Belgian Congo, and is entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. On 13 Apr. 1937, with portions of territory detached from the apostolic vicariates of Koango and Upper Kassai (now of Luluabourg), the apostolic prefecture of I. was erected; on 12 Feb. 1948 it was elevated to an apostolic vicariate.
It has an area of 42,000 sq. km. and a population of more than 360,000 inhabitants. In 1949 it had 51,779 indigenous Catholics, 170 foreign Catholics, 8,554 catechumens, 5,000 Protestants, nearly 300,000 pagans, 45 missionaries, 4 lay brothers and 22 sisters, all foreigners, 7 major seminarians, a minor seminary with 45 pupils, 747 catechists, 8 female catechists, 8 nurses, 12 principal stations, 72 secondary stations, 12 churches, 472 chapels, 6 dispensaries with 408,902 annual consultations, a leprosarium with 60 inmates, numerous welfare institutions for motherhood and childhood, 600 elementary schools with 17,440 male pupils and 4,637 female pupils,
a teacher-training school with 80 pupils, and a periodical printed in 100 copies. The percentage of practising Catholics is high.
#### IPERDULIA : V. CULTO.