PIETERSBURG [POLOKWANE], ABBEY 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 elevated to an abbey nullius under the name of P. With the establishment of the hierarchy in the Union of South Africa it forms part of the ecclesiastical province of Pretoria. It is entrusted to the Benedictines of the Cassinese Congregation of the Primitive Observance.

It comprises the civil districts of P., Waterberg, Potgieterstrasse, Zoutpans Bergen and Lenba and has an area of about 75,000 sq km with a population of about 716,422 inhabitants.

The Catholics are: 12,594 natives, 992 foreigners, 262 mixed, 1,832 catechumens, Protestants about 175,000, Jews about 3,000, Muslims 3,000 and the rest pagans. The Benedictines of the Cassinese Congregation number 18 and one indigenous secular priest, 30 brothers, 104 sisters. Catechists 69, teachers 179. Primary stations 10, secondary 59, churches 12, chapels 55. Hospitals 2, dispensaries 3, elementary schools 40, middle schools 5, higher schools 3, vocational schools 2, normal schools 1. There are various pious associations and associations of Catholic Action.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: MC, 1950, pp. 172-73; Arch. di Prop. Fide, Relazione, pos. prot. n. 4316/50; The Catholic directory of South Africa 1951, Cape Town 1951, pp. 310-16.

Severio Paventi

@incollection{ec9_pietersburg_abbazia_nullius_di, author = {Paventi, Saverio}, title = {Pietersburg, abbazia nullius di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {1390--1391}, 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/pietersburg-abbazia-nullius-di} }

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Pietersburg [Polokwane], Abbey Nullius of

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