MBEYA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. — Situated in the south-western part of the territory of Tanganyika, it is entrusted to the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers). It originated in 1932 when, on 18 July, the southern part of the then Apostolic Vicariate of Tanganyika (now of Kigoma and Karema) was established as a mission sui iuris under the name of Tukuyu. It became an apostolic prefecture on 29 March 1938. On 14 July 1949 it was elevated to an apostolic vicariate under the name of M., and its boundaries were modified in relation to the Vicariate of Karema (2 February 1950), to which it ceded a territory of a few hundred sq. km in that part of the Unyamvanga region extending south-west beyond the range of mountains that for some distance delimit the region itself.
At present M. has an area of approximately 70,000 sq. km, with more than 308,000 inhabitants. The northern part, infested with the tsetse fly, is sparsely populated, whereas in the southern part the population is dense: the principal tribes, the «Wanyakyusa» and «Wasafiya», number 150,000 and 45,000 persons respectively. There are 20,517 Catholics and 3,869 catechumens. The Protestants, who have been established in the territory for more than 50 years, number approximately 35,000, almost exclusively of the «Wanyakyusa» tribe; the Muslims number 4,970. There are also 3 indigenous priests and 19 foreign priests; 2 foreign lay brothers; 4 foreign sisters, who care for a government facility housing approximately 800 lepers; 7 major seminarians; 20 minor seminarians; 1 preparatory seminary; 138 catechists; 12 teachers; 8 principal and 135 secondary mission stations; 7 dispensaries; 7 elementary schools; 1 normal school; 184 prayer schools. In 1950 there were 137 baptisms of adults; 373 faithful are members of Catholic Action.