NDOLA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - It is located in the north-western part of Northern Rhodesia (Africa) and comprises the civil districts of N., Solevzi, Kasempa, Mwinilunga. The district of N. contains the Copper Belt region, where there are five important industrial centers.
The Catholic mission was founded in 1931 by the Conventual Friars Minor (to whom the vicariate of N. is now entrusted), after an eight-month stay in the vicariate of Baragaolo
(v.) in order to learn the native language. At first they were dependent on the apostolic prefecture of Broken Hill (now the apostolic vicariate of Lusaka [v.]), then, on 3 January 1938, with territory detached from the aforementioned prefecture, the apostolic prefecture of N. was erected, later an apostolic vicariate, from 13 January 1949. The apostolate in urban areas is rather difficult and complicated, because of the presence of numerous Europeans (about 15,000); and because of the natives of East Africa and the other Africans who have immigrated from the various provinces of Northern Rhodesia and from the neighboring regions (Angola, Congo, Nyasaland, Southern Rhodesia), who are reckoned at over 100,000. In rural areas missionary work is often hindered by the hostility of the sect called "Watch Tower", which in some places has very active adherents. However, some native chiefs, formerly hostile to the Catholic missions, now instead request the schools of the vicariate and accept Catholic catechists. In the aforementioned five industrial centers no schools other than government ones are permitted. Over 2000 native Catholics attend them. In these, however, there is a good percentage of Catholic teachers, to whom the religious instruction of the Catholic pupils is entrusted under the supervision of the local priest. The rural Catholic schools function very well, but the government, probably for economic reasons, is reluctant to permit the opening of others.
The vicariate measures about 134,400 sq km in area; out of about 261,000 inhabitants; 29,143 are Catholics, of whom 27,477 are natives, 1515 foreigners, 151 of mixed race; 4418 catechumens. The dissidents are estimated at about a thousand, the Protestants at about 20,000, the Jews at about 1000, the Mohammedans at about 3500. There are: 25 foreign priests (15 Italians and 10 among Americans, Maltese, Swiss, English), 7 foreign lay brothers, 4 native sisters and 34 foreign ones, a minor seminary in the process of being founded, 2 preparatory seminaries; 101 catechists, 6 female catechists; 56 male teachers, 15 female teachers, 15 quasi-parishes, 9 principal mission stations, 14 secondary ones; 11 churches, 24 chapels; 2 hospitals; 2 dispensaries; 1 leper colony; 1 periodical. Schools: 29 elementary; 6 middle; 6 vocational. Adult Baptisms in the year 1950 were 932. The associations of Catholic Action are also very flourishing. All this in a territory that twenty years ago was virgin; it is therefore a vicariate in full development, destined to produce even greater fruits in the future.