Pietersburg, Abbazia Nullius of. — In the Union of South Africa; the territory was detached from the Apostolic Vicariate of the Transvaal and erected on 22 Dec. 1901 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Transvaal, which on 13 June 1939 was raised to the status of an abbazia *nullius* under the name of P. With the establishment of the hierarchy in the Union of South Africa it belongs to the ecclesiastical province of Pretoria. It is entrusted to the Benedictine Cassinese monks of the primitive observance.
It comprises the civil districts of P., Waterberg, Potgieterrust, Zoutpans Bergen and Letaba and has an area of approximately 75,000 sq. km. with a population of approximately 716,422 inhabitants.
The Catholics are: 12,594 indigenous, 992 foreigners, 262 of mixed race, 832 catechumens, Protestants approximately 175,000, Jews approximately 3,000, Muslims 3,000 and the rest pagans. The Benedictine monks of the Cassinese Congregation number 18, plus one indigenous secular priest, 30 lay brothers, and 104 nuns. There are 69 catechists, 179 teachers, 10 primary stations, 59 secondary stations, 12 churches, 55 chapels, 2 hospitals, 3 dispensaries, 40 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 3 high schools, 2 vocational schools, and 1 normal school. There are various pious associations and Catholic Action groups.