West Africa 2

This blog covers Cote d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast), Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

Cote d'Ivoire

Cote d’Ivoire became a French protectorate in 1843, a French colony in 1893, and became independent in 1960.  Capuchin missionaries came to the region in 1637, but it was not until 1895 that the Holy Ghost Fathers and the Society for African Missions began evangelization efforts among the native people.  Today, 43 percent of Cote d’Ivoire’s 26 million people are Muslim.  Catholics account for 17 percent and other Christian groups account for 17 percent.  About 19 percent claim no religion.  There are four ecclesiastic provinces—Abidjan, Bouake, Gagnoa, and Korhogo.

Province of Abidjan

The province consists of the southeastern part of the Ivory Coast including the Districts of Abidjan and Lagunes.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Costa D’Avorio was established in 1895 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1911.  This became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Abidjan in 1955.

St. Paul’s Cathedral in Abidjan is a modern structure built between 1980 and 1985.  It is built on a hill overlooking downtown Abidjan and its most notable feature is a large cross suspended by cables to the Cathedral.  The exterior has 14 terracotta ceramic panels depicting the story of Christ.  The interior can hold 5,000 people and has stained glass windows, paintings, and ceramic panels, all featuring Christian images.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Grand-Bassam was established in 1982.
• The Diocese of Yopougon was established in 1982.
• The Diocese of Agboville was established in 2006.

Province of Bouake

The province consists of the northeastern part of the Ivory Coast including the Districts of Comoe, Lacs, Yamoussoukro, Zanzan, and part of Vallee du Bandama.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Bouake was created in 1951 and became a diocese in 1955.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bouake in 1994.  The Cathedral of St. Therese is in Bouake.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Abengourou was created in 1963.
• The Diocese of Bondoukou was created in 1987.
• The Diocese of Yamoussoukro was created in 1992.

Province of Gagnoa

The province consists of the southwestern part of the Ivory Coast including the Districts of Bas-Sassandra, Goh-Djiboua, Montagnes, and Sassandra-Marahoue.  The Diocese of Gagnoa was created in 1956 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1994.  The Cathedral of St. Anne is in Gognoa.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Daloa began as an apostolic vicariate in 1940 and became a diocese in 1955.
• The Diocese of Man was established in 1968.
• The Diocese of San Pedro-en-Cote-D’Ivoire was created in 1989.

Province of Korhogo

The province consists of northwest Ivory Coast, including the districts of Denguele, Savanes, Woroba, and part of Vallee du Bandama.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Korhogo was established in 1911, but was suppressed in 1952.  The Diocese of Korhogo was created in 1971 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Korhogo in 1994.  The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Korhogo was built in 1957.

From Panaramio

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Katiola began as an apostolic prefecture in 1911, became an apostolic vicariate in 1952, and a diocese in 1955.
• The Diocese of Odienne was established in 1994.

Guinea

France made Guinea a protectorate in 1849 and Guinea became part of French West Africa in 1895.  Guinea declared its independence in 1958.

Although Portuguese missionaries visited the area in the 15th Century, evangelization did not begin until 1877 with the arrival of the Holy Ghost Fathers.  Today, 88 percent of Guinea’s 12 million people are Muslim and 8 percent are Christian.  There are 270,000 Catholics and one ecclesiastic province—Conakry.

Province of Conakry

The province consists of the nation of Guinea.  The Apostolic Prefecture of French Guinea was established in 1897 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1920.  This became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Conakry in 1955.  St. Mary’s Cathedral in Conakry was built in the 1930s with an Orthodox design.

The first two pictures are from Pinterest and the last is from Wikipedia.

Pictures with sources.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of N’Zerekore was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1937 and was promoted to a diocese in 1959.
• The Diocese of Kankan was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1949 and was promoted to a diocese in 1993.
• The Diocese of Gueckedou was established in 2023.
• The Diocese of Boke was established in 2024.

Sierra Leone

The Portuguese built a fort in Sierra Leone in the late 15th Century and the Dutch, French, and British soon established bases of their own.  All four nations engaged in the slave trade.  In the 18th Century, the British, who by this time controlled Sierra Leone, relocated a few thousand former slaves to Sierra Leone from London and Canada.  Thus, Freetown was formed.  After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, thousands more former slaves were brought to Sierra Leone by the British.  Sierra Leone became a British Crown Colony in 1808 and was granted independence in 1961.

Many of the former slaves that were settled in Sierra Leone, especially in Freetown, were Methodists.  Catholicism traces its roots in Sierra Leone to 1510 with the arrival of Portuguese missionaries.  Jesuits came in 1604 and Capuchins in 1617, but both orders had left Sierra Leon by the early 18th Century.  African Missions Society priests came to Sierra Leone in 1858 and were joined by the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1864 to restart missionary efforts.

There is one ecclesiastic province—Freetown.  Muslims make up 79 percent of Sierra Leone’s population of 6 million.  Christians make up 21 percent of the population.  About 300,000 are Catholic.

Province of Freetown

The province consists of the nation of Sierra Leone.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Sierra Leone was established in 1858 and became the Diocese of Freetown and Bo in 1950.  This became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo in 1970 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Freetown in 2011.  Sacred Heart Cathedral in Freetown was built between 1884 and 1887.

From politicosi.com

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Makeni was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1952 and became a diocese in 1962.
• The Diocese of Kenema was established in 1970.
• The Diocese Bo was established in 2011.

Liberia

Portuguese explorers visited what is now Liberia as early as 1461, but never settled there and Jesuit and Capuchin missionaries visited in the 17th Century, but had little success at evangelization.  Beginning in 1822, free-born Blacks and freed slaves were encouraged by various American groups to resettle in Liberia.  Liberia became an independent republic in 1847—the first in Africa.  Many of these settlers were Protestant and Protestant missionaries had been active since the early 19th Century among the native Liberians.  Some of the settlers were Catholics from Maryland and in 1841, two U.S. priests and a catechist visited Cape Palmas and celebrated the first Mass in Liberia.  Holy Ghost Fathers came in 1843, but many of the missionaries died of fever, and evangelization work lapsed for several decades.  Missionaries returned in 1884, but were again faced with health issues and opposition from the Protestant establishment.  The Society of African Missions took charge of evangelization in 1906 and by 1910, there were almost 3,000 Catholics.

About 86 percent of Liberia’s 4.8 million people are Christian and 12 percent are Muslim.  Of the Christians, 330,000 are Catholic.  There is one ecclesiastic province—Monrovia.

Province of Monrovia

The province consists of the nation of Liberia.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Liberia was established in 1903 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1934.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Monrovia in 1981.  Sacred Heart Cathedral is in Monrovia.

The top picture is from a blog and the bottom picture is from Pinterest.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Cape Palmas began as an apostolic prefecture in 1950, became an apostolic vicariate in 1962, and was promoted to a diocese in 1981.
• The Diocese of Gbarnga was established in 1986.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures, both of which are missionary territories.