KITEGA [GITEGA], APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - Located in the southern part of Urundi and entrusted to the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers). The White Fathers had already attempted in 1879 to found a mission at Rumonge, but on 4 May 1881 three of them were slaughtered by the natives. Several attempts were made from 1883 to 1891 in the capital Usumbura and elsewhere until 1897.
In practice the Catholic missions began in 1898 with the founding of the mission station of Muyaga and in 1899 with that of Mugera. From 1878 Ruanda-Urundi was part of the apostolic pro-vicariate of Tanganyika; in 1886 it became the western part of the apostolic vicariate of Unyanyembe; on 12 Dec. 1912 it became the apostolic vicariate of Kivu (v.). But on 25 Apr. 1922 the territory was divided into the two vicariates of Ruanda and Urundi. The latter, on 14 July 1949, was divided between the two vicariates of Ngozi in the north and of K. in the south, which, together with the apostolic vicariate of Ruanda, are the most flourishing Catholic missions, not only of the Congo and Africa, but of the whole world.
The apostolic vicariate of K. has an area of about 10,800 sq km, with a population of about 629,100 inhabitants; 196,931 Catholics; 97,107 catechumens; 6,522 Protestants; 328,540 pagans; 8 native priests; 34 foreign priests; 8 native lay brothers with 6 novices and 11 postulants; 3 foreign lay brothers; 14 native sisters; 21 foreign sisters; 443 teachers; 557 catechists; 12 principal mission stations; 1 hospital with 2,000 patients; 17 dispensaries with 805,470 consultations a year; 2 maternity wards with 1,053 mothers assisted; 1 leprosarium with 55 lepers; 2 asylums with 59 inmates; 467 village schools with 53,527 pupils of both sexes; 434 primary and secondary schools, subsidized by the government, with 20,534 male pupils and 2,108 female pupils. Catholic Action is well organized there.