NDOLA, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. — It is situated in the northwestern part of Northern Rhodesia (Africa) and comprises the civil districts of N., Solevzi, Kasempa, and Mwiniliunga. 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 Friars Minor Conventual (to whom the vicariate of N. is now entrusted), after an eight-month stay in the vicariate of Baragaolo
(v.) to learn the indigenous 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 aforesaid prefecture, the apostolic prefecture of N. was erected, becoming an apostolic vicariate on 13 January 1949. The apostolate in urban areas is rather difficult and complicated because of the presence of numerous Europeans (approximately 15,000), as well as of natives of East Africa and other Africans who have immigrated from the various provinces of Northern Rhodesia and from the neighboring regions (Angola, Congo, Nyasaland, Southern Rhodesia), who are estimated to number more than 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. Some indigenous chiefs, however, formerly hostile to Catholic missions, now request the vicariate’s schools and accept Catholic catechists. In the aforementioned five industrial centers no schools other than government schools are permitted. More than 2,000 indigenous Catholics attend them. There is, however, a good proportion of Catholic teachers among them, and they are entrusted with religious instruction for the Catholic pupils 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 covers approximately 134,400 sq. km.; its population is approximately 261,000, of whom 29,143 are Catholics: 27,477 indigenous, 1,515 foreign, and 151 of mixed ancestry; there are 4,418 catechumens. The dissenters are estimated at approximately one thousand, Protestants at approximately 20,000, Jews at approximately 1,000, and Muslims at approximately 3,500. There are: 25 foreign priests (15 Italians and 10 among Americans, Maltese, Swiss, and English), 7 foreign lay brothers, 4 indigenous nuns and 34 foreign ones, one minor seminary in the process of being founded, 2 preparatory seminaries; 101 catechists, 6 women 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 leprosarium; 1 periodical. Schools: 29 elementary; 6 intermediate; 6 vocational. Adult Baptisms in 1950 numbered 932. The associations of Catholic Action are also flourishing greatly. This is in a territory that twenty years ago was untouched; it is therefore a vicariate in full development, destined to produce even greater fruits in the future.