KONGOLO, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of.—It is situated in the central-eastern part of the Belgian Congo and is entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. It was erected on 30 June 1911 from territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of Upper Kassai (now Luluabourg, v.) under the name of Northern Katanga, which on 8 March 1951 was changed to that of K.
It has an area of approximately 120,000 sq. km. and, according to the statistical data of 1949, a population of approximately 250,000 inhabitants. It has 42,653 indigenous Catholics, 389 foreign Catholics, 72 of mixed descent, 13,360 catechumens, 30 Eastern-rite dissidents, approximately 15,500 Protestants, about ten Jews, 1,717 Mohammedans, approximately 173,000 pagans; 1 indigenous priest, 42 foreign priests and 4 scholastics, 11 foreign lay brothers, 16 indigenous nuns, 32 foreign nuns, 5 major seminarians educated at the regional Seminary of Baudouinville (v.), a minor seminary with 28 pupils, 438 catechists, 38 women catechists, 380 male teachers, 32 female teachers; 11 districts and 362 secondary mission stations; 12 churches and 304 chapels; 4 hospitals with 287 beds; 9 dispensaries with 280,415 consultations per year; 2 orphanages with 76 orphans of both sexes; 3 homes for the aged with 21 residents; 4 maternity hospitals with 989 births and 45,450 consultations during the year; 413 schools with 15,354 pupils of both sexes. Adult baptisms, 719; children’s baptisms, 905; in articulo mortis, 626; communions, 412,933; marriages between the faithful, 234. There are 6 Catholic Action associations.