MARIANNHILL, DIOCESE OF. - Territory located on the southern coast of Natal washed by the Indian Ocean. In 1882 Abbot Pfanner of the Trappists began its evangelization, and after the establishment of the missionaries of M. the territory was detached from the apostolic vicariate of Natal (now the diocese of Durban) on 10 Sept. 1921 to form the apostolic vicariate of M., entrusted to the missionaries of the same name. Having detached from it on 8 Apr. 1935 the northern zone to form the apostolic prefecture of Monte Currie (later apostolic vicariate of Kokstad on 11 July 1939 and diocese on 11 Jan. 1951), on that same date the apostolic vicariate of M. also became a diocese, AAS, 43 (1951), p. 259.
It has an area of 17,200 km2. and a population of over 525,000 inhabitants, of whom 117,814 are Catholics, 3,169 catechumens, 200,000 pagans, 5,000 Muslims, 700 Jews, 200,000 Protestants. The missionaries number 66, of whom 17 are native, assisted by 88 brothers and 364 sisters, many of them nationals. Catechists 96, teachers 620, primary stations 17, secondary 2, churches 41, chapels 97.
In the minor seminary 115 students study and in the major seminary 14, who also belong to other missions. Hospitals 4, dispensaries 22, orphanages 3, printing presses 2. The associations are various.
Elementary schools 174 with 17,150 pupils, middle schools 36 with 1,698 pupils, higher schools 8 with 856 pupils; teachers' schools 1 with 600 pupils.
Bibliography4 works
Saverio Paventi