Ouidah, Apostolic Vicariate of

OUIDAH, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - The first apostolic vicariate of Dahomey, which extended from the mouth of the Volta River to that of the Niger, was erected by division of the apostolic vicariate of the Two Guineas (v. GUINEA) on 28 Aug. 1860, and entrusted to the alumni of the Seminary of Lyon for Foreign Missions. On 23 Aug. 1870, while retaining the same boundaries, it was called the apostolic vicariate of the Coast of Benin, which in 1943 took the name of Lagos (v.).

On 26 June 1883 the territory between the Volta and the Ouénié-Ohpara was erected as the apostolic prefecture of Dahomey, which, after various boundary changes due to new erections, became an apostolic vicariate on 25 May 1901. After further cessions of territory, in 1948 it changed its name to that of O., where the Ordinary resides. The territory, thus reduced, comprises the southern zone of Dahomey up to the boundaries of the Savalou and Parakou districts, toward the ninth parallel of north latitude. It has an area of approximately 38,000 sq. km.

The principal race is the Dahomeyan race, which at the end of the 19th century was famous for the slave trade and human sacrifices. Out of a population of approximately 1,250,000 inhabitants, Catholics and catechumens number 125,000. Muslims are approximately half, and Protestants approximately 16. The others are pagans. There are 23 districts and a single quasi-parish, 234 secondary stations. Churches 24, chapels 235. Foreign missionaries number 45 and native ones 18, brothers 6, sisters 106, catechists 563, teachers 295. Dispensaries 5, homes for the elderly 2, for lepers 1. Elementary schools 41, middle schools 19, normal school 1. Three periodicals are published there with 3000 copies in all. The pious associations are various.