TAMATAVE [TOAMASINA], VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF. - On the eastern coast of the island of Madagascar.
On July 17, 1832, Fr. Henri de Solages, apostolic prefect of the island of Bourbon, now Réunion, landed at T., in order to go to Tananarive to see Queen Ranavalona I and obtain permission to preach the Gospel. The missionary died of hardship on Dec. 8, 1832 along the way. He was succeeded by Fr. M. Dalmond, who succeeded in forming a small Christian community on the island of St. Mary. There were other attempts, all unsuccessful. After the Queen died on Aug. 16, 1861, King Radama II granted full freedom to preach Christianity, and missionaries from the island of Bourbon went there at once. During the wars of the French against the Hova, T. became a refuge for the missionaries of the interior. On June 18, 1935, in order to preserve and also increase the Christian communities already founded, the apostolic prefecture of Vatomandry was erected with territory detached from the apostolic vicariates of Tananarive and Fianarantsoa and entrusted to the Missionary Priests of the Company of Mary (Montfort). On May 25, 1939, it was elevated to an apostolic vicariate as T. with the annexation of territory detached from the apostolic vicariates of Tananarive and Diego Suarez.
It has an area of about 32,200 sq km and a population of about 386,600 inhabitants, of whom 48,179 are Catholics, the others Muslims or pagans. There are 40 missionaries, 30 brothers, 41 sisters, 30 churches, of which 2 are parishes, 86 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, 3 vocational schools. The pious associations and those of Catholic Action are well organized.
Bibliography4 works
Saverio Paventi