KATANGA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - It lies in the south-eastern part of the Belgian Congo and is entrusted to the Benedictines of the Belgian Congregation of the Abbey of St-André-les-Bruges (Lophem). On 5 August 1910, with territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of the Independent or Belgian Congo, the apostolic prefecture of K. was erected, which subsequently suffered notable reductions in extent, because on 18 July 1922 the apostolic prefecture of Lulua and Central K. was in part detached from it (now the apostolic vicariate of Lulua and the apostolic prefecture of Lake Moero, v.) and on 12 May 1925 the apostolic prefecture of Upper Luapula (now the vicariate of Sakania [v.]) was detached from it. On 22 March 1932 it was elevated to an apostolic vicariate. Residence at Elisabethville.
It currently has an area of 80,000 sq km and, according to the statistical data of 1947, a population of 219,830 inhabitants, of whom 71,815 are indigenous Catholics, 6,199 foreign Catholics, 73 Catholics of mixed race, 24,176 catechumens and postulants, 717 dissidents of the Eastern rite, 11,371 Protestants, 146 Muslims and over 105,000 pagans. Missionary priests 68, of whom 47 are Benedictines and 21 Salesians; lay brothers 26, a minor seminary with 73 pupils, 126 nuns, a novitiate and three novices; catechists 548 and teachers 568 of both sexes. The vicariate is divided into 10 districts, with 3 quasi-parishes, 10 principal mission stations and 418 secondary ones; 82 hospitals with about 1,600 beds; 13 dispensaries; two homes with 23 elderly people; 474 elementary schools with 24,426 pupils of both sexes, 2 secondary schools with 456 pupils, 4 for foreigners with 1,350 pupils, 10 vocational schools with 870 pupils, 2 teacher-training schools with 72 pupils, 418 prayer schools. There is a printing press that publishes three periodicals, and Catholic Action flourishes there.
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Carlo Corvo