Peramiho, Abbatia Nullius of

PERAMIHO, ABBAZIA NULLIUS of. — In the south-western part of the territory of Tanganyika, to the east of Lake Nyassa. Immediately subject to the Holy See, it is entrusted to the Benedictines of the Congregation of St Ottilia.

It derives from the Apostolic Prefecture of Lindi, which was erected on 12 November 1913 by separation from the Apostolic Vicariate of Dar-es-Salaam of that area of the territory of Tanganyika extending from Lake Nyassa to the Indian Ocean. On 15 December 1927 Lindi was raised to the status of an abbazia nullius, and on 23 December 1931, after the abbazia nullius of Ndanda (q.v.) had been detached from it, it took its present name of P.

It has an area of about 66,000 sq km, with a population of about 250,000, of whom 136,205 are Catholics, 7,740 catechumens, about 25,000 Protestants, about 20,000 Muslims, and about 73,000 pagans. Indigenous priests: 4; foreign priests: 64; brothers

(Int. Fides)