Lake Albert Apostolic Vicariate
It is situated in the north-eastern part of the Belgian Congo, near Lake Albert, and is entrusted to the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers). On 27 June 1922 a territory was detached from the Apostolic Vicariates of Uganda (v.) and of Stanley Falls (now Stanleyville [v.]) and erected as the Apostolic Prefecture of Lake Albert. On 13 December 1933 it was raised to the status of an Apostolic Vicariate. The vicariate is distinguished by a population divided into numerous races (19); the differing customs and languages are a serious obstacle to evangelisation.
It covers an area of 43,000 sq km. According to the 1949 statistical data, the population numbers over 585,000 inhabitants, of whom 162,801 are indigenous Catholics, 124,8 foreign Catholics, 98 of mixed race, 66,101 catechumens, 244 Eastern-rite dissidents, 42,916 Protestants, 283 Muslims, and about 312,000 pagans. There are 8 indigenous priests, 60 foreign priests, 29 indigenous lay brothers with 6 novices, 14 foreign lay brothers, 63 indigenous sisters with 23 novices, 57 foreign sisters, 9 major seminarians trained at the regional seminary of Nyakibanda (Ruanda, [v.]) and a minor seminary with 78 pupils, 1,460 catechists, 1,206 male teachers and 39 female teachers, 2 doctors and 56 qualified nurses; 15 main stations and 1,189 secondary ones, 68 churches, 1,279 chapels; 6 hospitals with 547 beds, 8 orphanages with 87 boys and 118 girls, 1 leper asylum with 54 residents, 10 women’s workshops with 531 workers, 7 women’s asylums with 295 residents, 1 printing press, 977 schools with 41,887 pupils of both sexes. There are flourishing Catholic Action associations.