OWERRI, Diocese of. - It is located on the southern coast of Nigeria and is entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit.

Before 12 Feb. 1948 its territory was part of the apostolic vicariate of Onitsha-O. (v. ONITSHA), which, on the aforementioned date, was divided into two independent vicariates: that of Onitsha and that of O. On 18 Apr. 1950, on the occasion of the erection of the episcopal hierarchy in British West Africa, the apostolic vicariate of O. was elevated to a diocese, suffragan of Onitsha, which became an archdiocese on the same occasion.

Area 28,460 sq. km.; population approx. 2,500,000; Catholics 271,000 with 128,700 catechumens; Protestants 173,600; Muslims approx. 2,000; pagans approx. 1,925,000. Priests: native 7, foreign 55; native lay brothers 9 with 1 novitiate and 16 novices, foreign lay brothers 3; native sisters 3 with 1 novitiate and 37 novices, foreign sisters 27; some major seminarians are educated at the interdiocesan Seminary of Onitsha and numerous minor seminarians at the minor Seminary of Okpala; catechists 27; masters 2874, mistresses 483; doctors one secular and one religious, graduate nurses 26 and 49 in training. Principal mission stations 26, secondary 957; churches 181, chapels 393; hospitals 1; dispensaries 12; 9 maternity wards. Schools: elementary 504; middle 301; vocational 1; normal 5. Catholic Action is flourishing.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: AAS, 40 (1948), pp. 357-58; 42 (1950), pp. 615-19; MC, Rome 1950, pp. 119-20; Archivio di Prop. Fide. pos. prot. n. 3613/51.

Carlo Corvo

@incollection{ec9_owerri_diocesi_di, author = {Corvo, Carlo}, title = {Owerri, diocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {481--482}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/owerri-diocesi-di} }

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Owerri, Diocese of

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