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.