TSHUMBÉ, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. - It is situated in the central-eastern part of the Belgian Congo and lies approximately between the 24th degree of longitude and the 4th degree of latitude.
It forms part of the province of Kassai, embracing almost the whole civil district of Sankuru. Its erection as an apostolic vicariate dates from 13 March 1947, when the apostolic prefecture of the same name was elevated; that prefecture in turn had been established on 15 May 1936 from territory detached from the then apostolic vicariate of Upper Kassai (now the apostolic vicariate of Luluabourg). It is entrusted to the care of the Passionists, who, having arrived there in 1930 to assist the Missionaries of Scheut, founded there in 1931 the two mission stations of Ifuta and Mwetshi and subsequently assumed exclusive responsibility for II.
Over an area of approximately 60,000 sq. km., it has approximately 183,000 inhabitants, of whom 32,917 are Catholics, 8,000 Protestants, and the remainder pagans; it has 594 churches, including 50 parishes, served by 3 indigenous and 31 foreign priests (Passionists); 313 schools and 20 charitable institutions; moreover, a printing press with a monthly periodical: Nhuruse (1,240 copies). Evangelization proceeds slowly because it is hindered, on the one hand, by the emigration of young people and, on the other, much more seriously, by moral depravity and especially by polygamy, which, although recently struck by a governmental decree (4 Apr. 1950), still remains a very widespread custom.