KOKSTAD, Diocese of. - In the Union of South Africa. By decree of 8 April 1935 the south-western region of the apostolic vicariate of Mariannhill was constituted as the apostolic prefecture of Monte Currie, bordering to the north on the apostolic vicariates of Basutoland and Mariannhill and the Indian Ocean, and to the south and west on the apostolic vicariate of Umtata. On 11 July 1939 it was elevated to an apostolic vicariate under the name of K., from the seat of the Ordinary. On 11 January 1951, with the establishment of the ecclesiastical hierarchy in the Union of South Africa, it was elevated to a diocese.

It has an area of 15,000 sq. km. and a population of about 375,000 inhabitants, of whom only 6,500 are Europeans. Catholics number 14,355, catechumens 656, Protestants 100,000, pagans 260,000. The Franciscan Minor missionaries number 14, the brothers 4, the sisters 68. Catechists 46, primary stations 11, secondary stations 70, churches 8, chapels 10, hospitals 1 with 63 beds. Elementary schools 29 with 2,235 pupils, middle schools 9 with 172 pupils, higher schools 2 with 9 pupils. The African Catholic Union and other associations for teachers, farmers and laypeople are well developed.

Bibliography5 works

BIBL.: AAS, 28 (1936), pp. 91-92; 32 (1940), pp. 18-19; Archivio di Prop. Fide, Prospectus status missions, pos. prot. n. 4528/49; The catholic directory of South Africa, Cape Town 1950, pp. 151-58; MC, 1950, p. 165.

Saverio Paventi

@incollection{ec7_kokstad_diocesi_di, author = {Paventi, Saverio}, title = {Kokstad, diocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {728--729}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/kokstad-diocesi-di} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Kokstad, Diocese of

About this entry