Miarinarivo, Vicariate Apostolic of

MIARINARIVO, VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF. - It is located in the central region of Madagascar. On 13 Dec. 1933 the entire eastern zone of the apostolic vicariate of Tananarive was detached to form the mission sui iuris of M., entrusted to the Order of the Trinitarians. It never had, however, an Ordinary of its own, and the Italian Trinitarians who worked there depended on the apostolic vicariate of Tananarive. On 15 March 1939 there was a rectification of boundaries in favor of the apostolic prefecture of Morondava. On 25 May 1939 the mission was elevated to a vicariate with the territory of Tananarive and with a small zone of the apostolic vicariate of Majunga. It was entrusted to the native clergy, and a Malagasy was appointed apostolic vicar with episcopal character, who was the first native bishop of the island. The Italian Trinitarians remained in place, and for them on 13 Jan. 1949 the apostolic prefecture of Tsirroanomandidy was erected, with territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of M.

The territory was evangelized first by the Jesuits and from 1926 by the Italian Trinitarians. Malaria is very widespread and the means of communication are very scarce. It has an area of ca. 20,000 sq. km., with ca. 85,000 inhabitants, of whom 39,019 are Catholics and 9,383 catechumens. The Protestants are fewer than the Catholics and the others are still pagans. There are 10 native priests and 5 foreign; 7 native sisters and 1 foreign; 264 catechists; 103 teachers, 15 seminarians; 88 schools, of which 80 are elementary; 12 primary stations, 310 secondary; 30 churches; 291 chapels. Works of charity are not lacking.

Saverio Paventi