STANLEYVILLE, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. — It is situated in the north-eastern part of the Belgian Congo.
It was established as an apostolic prefecture on 3 August 1904, with territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of the Independent or Belgian Congo (v. LEOPOLDVILLE), and was elevated to an apostolic vicariate on 1 May 1909. It underwent several reductions of territory following the creation of new missions. On 10 March 1949 it received its present name, S., whereas previously it was called Stanley Falls. It is entrusted to the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who also receive assistance from the Canons Regular of the Lateran of the Most Holy Savior. The
Various images of the Saint are in the church of S. Andrea al Quirinale in Rome. There, above the altar, where the body of the Saint is preserved, an altarpiece by Carlo Maratta depicts S. S. kneeling before the Madonna with the Child Jesus; to the right of the altar is his angelic communion, and to the left his ecstasy, painted by Mazzanti. In the room of the house near the church where the Saint died, transformed into a chapel, above the altar is an excellent model for the typology of the Saint
vicariate covers an area of 173,385 sq. km., with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, of whom more than 140,000 are Catholics, with nearly 37,000 catechumens, few Protestants (nearly 13,000) and Muslims (approximately 13,000), and more than 290,000 pagans; it is served by: 5 native priests and 1 Dutch secular priest; foreign priests: 73 of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and 10 Canons Regular of the Lateran; foreign lay brothers: 15 of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 3 Canons Regular of the Lateran, and 17 Marists; 97 foreign sisters; 11 major seminarians and 92 minor seminarians; 461 catechists and 44 female catechists; 20 principal mission stations and 1112 secondary ones, 20 churches and 1112 chapels; an imposing complex of charitable institutions and schools with very numerous pupils of both sexes (23,394). The various confraternities, lay charitable associations, and particularly those of Catholic Action are flourishing greatly. Since the European population is increasing (approximately 3,200 people), the missionaries are required to devote considerable attention to preserving these Catholics in the practice of their religion.