KAREMA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. - In British East Africa, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. It is entrusted to the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers).
It derives from the apostolic vicariate of Tanganyika, and was erected on 10 May 1946 with the territory of the Ufipa region, when the latter was detached from the Uha region. The two aforementioned regions, Uha in the north and Ufipa in the south, together formed the vicariate of Tanganyika. Once divided, the Uha region took the name of the vicariate of Kigoma, and the Ufipa region that of the apostolic vicariate of K. (for its history V. KIGOMA).
The apostolic vicariate of K. has an area of 76,000 sq. km. and a population of approximately 153,000 inhabitants (year 1949); native Catholics 92,554, foreigners 26, of mixed race 17, catechumens 4,318, Protestants 2,852, Mohammedans 3,709, pagans approximately 50,000. Native priests 14, foreign priests 28, foreign lay brothers 7, foreign nuns 27, native nuns 14, with 5 novices, 21 postulants, and 21 aspirants. Major seminarians 30, minor seminarians 75, preparatory seminaries 1 with 32 pupils, catechists 435, teachers 40, teachers 9, physicians 1 (native). Principal stations 5, secondary stations 378, quasi-parishes 8, churches 18, chapels 350, dispensaries 9, with 160,270 consultations during the year, elementary schools 20 with 2,484 pupils, one women’s teacher-training school with 148, one school for catechists with 31 pupils, 395 prayer schools with 15,000 pupils of both sexes. Catholic Action is well developed there in 280 centres, with 948 male members and 320 female members.