MOUNDOU, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. - In Central Africa. On 9 Jan. 1947 Fort Lamy (v.) was erected, entrusted to the Jesuits, and the boundaries with the apostolic prefecture of Berberati and the apostolic vicariate of Bangui were revised.
After the publication of the bull erecting the apostolic prefecture of Fort Lamy and of the decree altering the boundaries, doubts arose concerning jurisdiction over certain territories. In order to regulate the boundaries more precisely and to promote more effectively the evangelization of the very extensive 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 established; the region of Moyeu-Chari remained with the apostolic prefecture of Fort Lamy; the region of Logone was erected into the apostolic prefecture of M., the chief town of the region, and entrusted to the Capuchins. Thus the boundaries between the new apostolic prefecture of M. and that of Berberati coincide with those between the colony of Tchad and the colony of Oubangui-Chari.
The new prefecture has 460,000 inhabitants, of the Sara race, hitherto resistant to Islâm and of sound morals, very little devoted to fetishism, and desirous of conversion. There are three stations, of which those of M. and Doba are important, while that of Kelo is in its beginnings. There are 9,000 Catholics and a large number of catechumens. Protestants established themselves there before the Catholics.