Kivu, Apostolic Vicariate of

KIVU, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - Located in the eastern part of the Belgian Congo Colony, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and Lake K. Another vicariate of this name was erected on 12 Dec. 1912 with territory further to the east, but was then suppressed on 25 Apr. 1922 and divided between the vicariates of Urundi and Ruanda. The present apostolic vicariate of K. has an area of 84,693 sq km, is entrusted to the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) and was erected on 26 Dec. 1929 with territory detached from the vicariate of Upper Congo (today Baudouinville).

The territory of K. is among those that are developing most rapidly. The missionary work of the White Fathers, assisted by some Fathers of the Society of Jesus, although full of zeal, encounters serious obstacles especially from the anticlericalism imported by Europeans. In order to provide the vicariate with more adequate means, the eventuality of a forthcoming division of its territory into several ecclesiastical circumscriptions is already foreseen. It has approximately 831,000 inhabitants, 71,460 indigenous Catholics, 3,802 foreigners and 133 of mixed race; 54,045 catechumens; 15,645 Protestants; 3,995 Muslims, besides 679,000 pagans; 4 indigenous priests, 59 foreign priests of the White Fathers with 10 lay brothers; 5 foreign Jesuit priests with 7 scholastics and 2 lay brothers; 21 Marist lay brothers with a novitiate and 10 novices; 21 indigenous lay brothers; 28 indigenous sisters with 1 novitiate and 15 novices; 64 foreign sisters; 21 major seminarians educated at the regional Seminary of Nyakibanda (Ruanda [v.]); 1 minor seminary with 93 pupils; 317 catechists and 627 teachers; 16 principal mission stations and 399 secondary ones; 17 churches and 203 chapels; 4 hospitals with 288 beds; 9 dispensaries with 451,537 annual consultations; 3 leprosaria with 110 inmates; 3 maternity wards and numerous other welfare works for mothers and children; 1 printing press with 3 periodicals having a total of 16,500 copies. In 1949 there were 2,066 Baptisms of adults. The total number of schools (359) and pupils (36,627) is noteworthy. Associations of Catholic Action and lay charitable associations also flourish, as do the confraternities.

Carlo Corvo