MOUNDOU, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF. - In central Africa. On 9 January 1947 the apostolic prefecture of Fort Lamy (v.) was erected, entrusted to the Jesuits, and its boundaries with the apostolic prefecture of Berberati and the apostolic vicariate of Bangui were rectified.
After the publication of the bull erecting the apostolic prefecture of Fort Lamy and of the decree changing the boundaries, doubts arose concerning jurisdiction over certain territories. In order to regulate the boundaries more exactly and to promote better the evangelization of the vast territory, on 17 May 1951 the region of Mayo-Kebi was assigned to the apostolic prefecture of Garoua, where the Oblates of Mary Immaculate are; the region of Moyen-Chari remained with the apostolic prefecture of Fort Lamy; the region of Logone was erected into the apostolic prefecture of M., chief town of the region, and entrusted to the Capuchins. In this way the boundaries between the new apostolic prefecture of M. and that of Berberati coincide with the limits between the colony of Chad and the colony of Ubangi-Shari.
The new prefecture has 460,000 inhabitants, of the Sara race, hitherto resistant to Islam and of sound morals, very little given to fetishism, desirous of converting. There are three stations, of which those of M. and Doba are important and that of Kelo is in its beginnings. Catholics number 9,000 and there is a great number of catechumens. The Protestants established themselves there before the Catholics.
Bibliography
Saverio Paventi