TAMALE, Diocese of. — Located in the northern part of the Gold Coast, entrusted to the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), and a suffragan of the archdiocese of Cape Coast.
This territory was erected on 11 January 1926 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Navrongo, detached from the Apostolic Vicariate of Ouagadougou, and was later enlarged by part of the then Apostolic Vicariate of the Gold Coast (now the archdiocese of Cape Coast); it was raised to the status of an Apostolic Vicariate on 26 February 1934; and finally to a diocese under the name of T., on 18 April 1950. It has an area of 78,958 sq. km., with about 860,000 inhabitants, of whom 35,567 are Catholics (including 2,954 catechumens and 4,022 postulants); 5,284 Protestants; over 103,000 Muslims; and more than 715,000 pagans. Indigenous priests: 5; foreign priests: 49; foreign brothers: 6; sisters: 50, of whom 28 native and 22 foreign; a novitiate with 9 novices; a major seminary with 12 students and 4 minor students; 108 catechists; 36 male teachers and 6 female teachers; 10 quasi-parishes, 69 secondary missionary stations; 10 churches, 65 chapels. Two hospitals with 227 patients during the year 1951; 13 dispensaries; 1 orphanage with 13 boys and 11 girls; two leper asylums; 3 homes for the elderly; there are also works for maternity and infancy; 2 periodicals with a total circulation of 4,600 copies. Schools: 29 with 1,712 pupils of both sexes. There are associations of Catholic Action.