KATANGA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. — In the south-eastern part of the Belgian Congo, it 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; it subsequently underwent considerable reductions in size, because on 18 July 1922 part of it was detached to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Lulua and Central K. (now the Apostolic Vicariate of Lulua and the Apostolic Prefecture of Lake Moero, q.v.), and on 12 May 1925 part of it was detached to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Lulua and Upper Lulua (now the Vicariate of Sakania [q.v.]). On 22 March 1923 it was elevated to an Apostolic Vicariate. Residence at Elisabethville.
At present it covers an area of 80,000 sq. km. and, according to the 1947 statistical data, has a population of 219,830, of whom 71,815 are indigenous Catholics, 6,199 foreign Catholics, 75 Catholics of mixed race, 24,176 catechumens and postulants, 717 dissidents of the Eastern rite, 11,371 Protestants, 146 Moslems and over 105,000 pagans. Missionary priests: 68, of whom 47 Benedictines and 21 Salesians; lay brothers: 26; a minor seminary with 73 pupils; 126 sisters; a novitiate and three novices; 548 catechists and 568 teachers of both sexes. The vicariate is divided into 10 districts, with 3 quasi-parishes, 10 main missionary stations and 418 secondary ones; 82 hospitals with about 1,600 beds; 13 dispensaries; two homes for the aged with 23 inmates; 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 which publishes three periodicals, and Catholic Action flourishes.
