Meru, Apostolic Prefecture of

MERU, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF. - It is located in the central part of Kenya, northeast of Mount Kenya, and is entrusted to the Institute of Consolata Missions (v.). It was erected on 10 March 1926 with territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of Nyeri (v.). It comprises the district of M. and part of the district of Embu. The first two mission stations (Imenti and Egoji) were founded in 1911.

From 1940, after all the Italian missionaries of the prefecture were interned, it had a delegate vicar assisted by 5 fathers and 1 lay brother, Dutch, of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. In 1944 the Consolata missionaries returned, remaining under the direction of the delegate vicar until the appointment of the current apostolic administrator, who is the apostolic vicar of Nyeri.

According to the latest statistics (1950), the prefecture has an area of approximately 9,000 sq. km., 320,000 inhabitants, 13,546 Catholics, of whom 13,501 are natives and 45 foreigners, 3,040 catechumens, 20,500 Protestants, 830 Muslims, approximately 282,000 pagans, 22 foreign priests, 7 foreign lay brothers, 39 foreign sisters, 73 catechists, 177 male teachers and 10 female teachers; 11 principal stations and 1 secondary; 11 churches and 1 chapel; 1 hospital, 9 dispensaries; 102 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 2 vocational schools, 1 normal school. There are associations of Catholic Action. In 1950 there were 920 adult Baptisms.

Carlo Corvo