East Africa—2

This blog discusses the East African nations of Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda.

Uganda

British explorers searching for the source of the Nile River came to Uganda in 1862.  The British established the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1888 to negotiate trade agreements in the region, but civil unrest led to Uganda becoming a colony in 1894.  Uganda gained its independence in 1962.

British Anglican missionaries came to the area in 1877 and French Catholic missionaries came in 1879.  Christians were persecuted between 1885 and 1887 resulting in 22 Catholic martyrs.  Today, Uganda has 43 million people—45 percent are Protestant (and three-quarters of those are Anglican), 39 percent are Catholic, and 14 percent are Muslim.  There are four Catholic ecclesiastic provinces—Gulu, Kampala, Mbarara, and Tororo.  There is also a military diocese that was established in 1964.

Province of Kampala

The province consists of the Central Region of Uganda.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Nyanza was established in 1880 and was headquartered in Rubaga, now part of Kampala.  The vicariate had several name changes before becoming the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rubaga in 1953.  An apostolic vicariate of Kampala was created in 1948 and this became a diocese in 1953 with the creation of the new province.  The Archdiocese of Rubaga and part of the Diocese of Kampala were merged in 1966 to form the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kampala.  

St. Mary’s Cathedral in Kampala was built between 1914 and 1925 by the White Fathers on a hill on which was once built a royal palace.  The Romanesque Cathedral was made from 2.5 million bricks and can hold 5,000 people.  The Cathedral has twin towers and has stained-glass windows honoring the Ugandan Martyrs.

The top two pictures are from a tourist website and the last is from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Masaka was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1939 and became a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Kiyinda-Mityana was established in 1981.
• The Diocese of Kasana-Luweero was established in 1996.
• The Diocese of Lugazi was established in 1996.

Province of Gulu

The province consists of part of the Northern Region of Uganda.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Equatorial Nile was established in 1923, became an apostolic vicariate in 1934, and became the Diocese of Gulu in 1953.  It was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gulu in 1999.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Gulu was built with 800,000 bricks between 1931 and 1941 by the Comboni Missionary Brothers and by local Catholics.  The church can seat 5,000. 

The top two pictures are from TripAdvisor and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Arua was established in 1958.
• The Diocese of Lira was established in 1968.
• The Diocese of Nebbi was established in 1996.

Province of Mbarara

The province consists of the Western Region of Uganda.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Ruwenzori was created in 1934 and became the Diocese of Mbarara in 1953.  This became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mbarara in 1999.  Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral is in Mbarara.  See archdioceseofmbarara.org.

The top picture is from the Archdiocesan website and the bottom picture is from a local website.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Fort Portal was established in 1961.
• The Diocese of Hoima was established in 1965.
• The Diocese of Kabale was established in 1966.
• The Diocese of Kasese was established in 1989.

Province of Tororo

The province consists the Eastern Region of Uganda and part of the Northern Region.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Upper Nile was established in 1894.  This became the Diocese of Tororo in 1953 and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tororo in 1999.  The Cathedral of the Uganda Martyrs is in Tororo.  See tororoarchdiocese.org.

From the Archdiocesan website.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Moroto was established in 1965.
• The Diocese of Jinja was established in 1966.
• The Diocese of Soroti was established in 1980.
• The Diocese of Kotido was established in 1991.

Burundi

In the mid-1700s, a Burundian kingdom consolidated control over all forms of the economy and taxed the local people in exchange for protection.  The royalty belonged primarily to the Tutsi tribe, while the common people were either farmers (mostly Hutu) or herders (mostly Tutsi).  Germany took control of Burundi (and Rwanda and most of what is now Tanzania) in 1884, but German forces were driven out by Belgium in 1916.  Belgium retained Burundi’s monarchy and granted independence in 1962.  The king was deposed in 1966 and a republic was formed.  Fighting between Tutsi and Hutu have dominated Burundi history.  It is estimated that between 1962 and 1993 that 250,000 people died as a result of the conflicts.  In 1993, the first democratically elected president, a Hutu, was assassinated by Tutsi soldiers.  Another 300,000 people would die before a peaceful resolution in 2005.

Missionary activity began with the arrival of the White Fathers in 1879, but was resisted by the king—often violently.  Catholic and Protestant missionaries returned between 1898 and 1920 and more Protestant missionaries came in the 1920s and 1930s.  Catholic converts were mostly Hutu, while the early Protestant missionaries worked mainly with the Tutsi.  Burundi has almost 12 million people—62 percent are Catholic and 24 percent are Protestant.  There are two Catholic ecclesiastic provinces—Gitega and Bujumbura.

Province of Gitega

The province consists of eastern and central Burundi.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Kivu was established in 1912, became the Apostolic Vicariate of Urundi in 1922, and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gitega in 1959.  Christ the King Cathedral is in Gitega.  Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral in 1990.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Ngozi was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1949 and became a diocese in 1959.
• The Diocese of Muyinga was established in 1968.
• The Diocese of Ruyigi was established in 1973.
• The Diocese of Rutana was established in 2009.

Province of Bujumbura

The province consists of western Burundi.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Usumbura was established in 1959 and became a diocese the same year.  This became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bujumbura in 2006.

The Cathedral of Mary, Queen of the World, is in Bujumbura.  The Cathedral can hold over 2,000 for Mass and has stained-glass windows and a decorated main altar.  The modern red-brick Cathedral was built in the 1950s.

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

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Bururi was established in 1961.
• The Diocese of Bubanza was established in 1980.

Rwanda

Rwanda was divided into several kingdoms until the middle of the 1700s when the Kingdom of Rwanda, ruled by the Tutsi people, became dominant.  This began a period in which other peoples, notably the Hutu, became subservient to the Tutsi.  Rwanda became a German colony in 1884 and a Belgian colony in 1916.  The colonial powers modernized the country but also encouraged the social order of domination by the Tutsi.  The Hutu revolted in 1959, three years before Belgium granted independence.  The revolt resulted in thousands of deaths, especially among the Tutsi, and the exile of 150,000 Tutsi to neighboring countries.  The children of these exiles began a civil war in 1990 that resulted in the deaths of 800,000 Rwandans, including three-quarters of the Tutsi.  The war ended in 1994 with victory by a Tutsi-led group. 

Catholicism came to Rwanda with the White Fathers in 1900.  Most Catholic and Protestant clergy were Tutsi and the churches were mostly pro-democracy.  Nevertheless, three Catholic bishops and 25 percent of Catholic priests were killed during the civil war.  Today, Rwanda has 12.7 million people—half are Protestant and 44 percent are Catholic.  There is one Catholic ecclesiastic province—Kigali.

Province of Kigali

The province consists of the nation of Rwanda.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kigali was established in 1976.  

St. Michael’s parish was established in 1963 and became the Cathedral parish in 1976 with the creation of the archdiocese.  The Cathedral parish has 7,000 members and the Cathedral can hold 1,000 people for Mass.  Masses are celebrated in French, English, and Kinyarwanda.  There are plans to build a new, larger, cathedral.

From TripAdvisor.

The Province has eight suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Kabgayi was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1922 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1959.  It was demoted to a diocese in 1976.
• The Diocese of Nyundo was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1952 and became a diocese in 1959.
• The Diocese of Ruhengeri was established in 1960.
• The Diocese of Butare was established in 1961.
• The Diocese of Kibungo was established in 1968.
• The Diocese of Byumba was established in 1981.
• The Diocese of Cyangugu was established in 1981.
• The Diocese of Gikongoro was established in 1992.

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 below the level of a diocese.

Tanzania

An Omani sultan gained control of the island of Zanzibar and made Zanzibar City his capital in 1840.  Zanzibar then became the center of the Arab slave trade which lasted until 1890.  Today, the people of Zanzibar are almost all Muslim.  Germany conquered what is now mainland Tanzania in the 1880s and held it until the First World War.  The British were given control as a result of the war and named their colony Tanganyika.  Tanganyika gained independence in 1961.  Zanzibar overthrew their Arab government in 1963 and merged with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the new nation of Tanzania.  

Portuguese Augustinians came to Zanzibar in 1499, but were expelled by the Arabs in 1698.  The Holy Ghost Fathers came back in 1863 and Zanzibar became an important point of departure for missionaries to East Africa.  The Holy Ghost Fathers came to what was later named Tanganyika in 1868.  Tanzania has 54 million people and 61 percent are Christian, equally divided between Catholics and Protestants.  Another 35 percent are Muslim.  There are seven Catholic ecclesiastic provinces—Arusha, Dar es-Salaam, Dodoma, Mbeya, Mwanza, Songea, and Tabora.

Province of Dar-es-Salaam

The province consists of the civil regions of Dar es-Salaam, Morogoro, Pwani, Tanga, as well as both Pemba regions, and all three Zanzibar regions in east central Tanzania.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Southern Zanguebar was established in 1887 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1902.  This became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dar es-Salaam in 1953.

The Cathedral of St. Joseph in Dar es-Salaam was built in a Gothic style by the Germans between 1897 and 1902.  Its stained glass windows are noteworthy.

Pictures are from Pinterest, TripAdvisor, and Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Morogoro was established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Zanguebar in 1906 and became the Diocese of Morogoro in 1953.
• The Diocese of Tanga was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1950 and became a diocese in 1958.
• The Diocese of Mahenge was established in 1964.
• The Diocese of Zanzibar was established as the Apostolic Prefecture of Zanguebar in 1860 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Zanguebar in 1887.  This was suppressed in 1953 before becoming an apostolic administration in 1964.  The Diocese of Zanzibar was created in 1980.
• The Diocese of Ifakara was established in 2012.

Province of Tabora

The province consists of the civil regions of Katavi, Kigoma, Tabora, and western Sinyanga in west central Tanzania.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Unianyembe was created in 1887 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tabora in 1953.  St. Theresa’s Cathedral is in Tabora.  See catbr.or.tz for pictures.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Kigoma was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1946 and was promoted to a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Kahama was established in 1983.
• The Diocese of Mpanda was established in 2000.

Province of Mwanza

The province consists of the civil regions of Geita, Kagera, Mara, Mwanza, Simiyu, and eastern Shinyanga in northwestern Tanzania.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Victoria-Nyanza was established in 1894, became the Diocese of Mwnza in 1953 and a metropolitan archdiocese in 1987.

The Cathedral of the Epiphany in Mwanza was built in the early 20th Century.  Plans are underway to build a larger cathedral.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Bukoba was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1929 and became a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Shinyanga was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1950 and became a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Musoma was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1946 and became a diocese in 1957.
• The Diocese of Rulenge-Ngara was established as the Diocese of Rulenge in 1960 and acquired its current name in 2008.
• The Diocese of Geita was established in 1984.
• The Diocese of Kayanga was established in 2008.
• The Diocese of Bunda was established in 2010.

Province of Songea

The province consists of the civil regions of Iringa, Lindi, Mtwara, Njombe, and Ruvuma in southeastern Tanzania.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Lindi was established in 1913, became a territorial abbacy in 1927, a diocese in 1969, and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Songea in 1987.

St. Mathias Mulumba Kalemba Cathedral in Songea was built between 1965 and 1968 by a German Benedictine brother.  It is dedicated to one of the 22 Martyrs of Uganda.  See songea.org. 

From the Cathedral website.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Lindi was established in 1963.
• The Diocese of Njombe was established in 1968.
• The Diocese of Mtwara was established as a territorial abbacy in 1931 and became a diocese in 1972.
• The Diocese of Tunduru-Masasi was established in 1986.
• The Diocese of Mbinga was established in 1986.

Province of Arusha

The province consists of the civil regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Manyara in northeastern Tanzania.  The Diocese of Arusha was established in 1963 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Arusha in 1999.  St. Theresa’s Cathedral in Arusha was built in a Romanesque style in 1926.

From Wikipedia

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Moshi was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1910 and became a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Mbulu was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1943, became an apostolic vicariate in 1952, and became a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Same was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1963 and became a diocese in 1977.

Province of Dodoma

The province consists of the civil regions of Dodoma and Singida in central Tanzania.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Dodoma was established in 1935, became an apostolic vicariate in 1951, a diocese in 1953, and a metropolitan archdiocese in 2014.  St. Paul of the Cross Cathedral is in Dodoma. 

The first picture is from the diocesan website and the second is from a local tourist website.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Singida was established in 1972.
• The Diocese of Kondoa was established in 2011.

Province of Mbeya

The province consists of the civil regions of Iringa, Mbeya, Rukwa, and Songwe in southwestern Tanzania.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mbeya began as a Mission sui juris in 1932, became an apostolic prefecture in 1938, an apostolic vicariate in 1949, a diocese in 1953, and finally a metropolitan archdiocese in 2018.  Christ the King Cathedral is in Mbeya.  See the archdiocesan website at mbeyadiocese.org.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Sumbawanga was established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Tanganyika in 1880 and became a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Iringa was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1922, became an apostolic vicariate in 1948, and a diocese in 1953.
• The Diocese of Mafinga was established in 2023.

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, apostolic prefectures, and missions sui juris, which are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  A territorial abbacy is a jurisdiction under the abbot of a local monastery, who has the authority of a bishop.