JABALPUR (Jubbulpore), Apostolic Prefecture of. - Erected on 18 July 1932 with territory detached from the dioceses of Nagpur and Allahabad under the name of Jubbulpore. It is located in central India and is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Madras. It comprises the civil districts of J., Mandla, Saugor, the subdivisions of Narsinghpur (part of the district of Hoshangabad) and of Seoni (part of the district of Chindawara) and the former native States of Bundelkhand and Baghelkand. The region, partly hilly, partly covered by jungle, has a continental climate.
It is entrusted to the Order of the Premonstratensians, who send there the Fathers of the abbey of Berne in Holland. It borders to the north with the diocese of Allahabad, to the east with that of Ranchi, to the south with the diocese of Nagpur and to the west with that of Indore. By decree of 27 Oct. 1950 the name was changed to J.
It has an area of 112,550 sq. km. and a population of about 7,000,000 inhabitants, thus divided: 6,500,000 pagans, 200,000 Muslims, 7,500 Protestants, 6,000 Catholics. One tenth of the entire population is aboriginal.
There work there 26 Premonstratensian fathers and 4 brothers, all foreigners; 3 Indian priests and about seventy sisters of various religious institutes, 42 catechists. The primary stations with residence of the priest are 15, the secondary stations 62; the churches 6 and the chapels 13. Elementary schools 36, with 3,000 among boys and girls; middle schools 8 with nearly 600 students, higher schools 3 with 233 young people, 1 vocational school with 20 girls. The teachers are 130 in all. The works of charity are represented by 11 dispensaries with about 40,000 consultations annually, 6 orphanages with 305 orphans, 1 medical shelter. In these last years associations of Catholic Action and pious sodalities have arisen. There is no seminary: some young men prepare for the priesthood in the Seminary of Ranchi.
Bibliography5 works
Pompeo Borgna