Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Diocese of Gore, 1998

The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has created (November 28^th 1998) the diocese of Gore, (Chad) with territory taken from the dioceses of Moundou and Doba, making it suffragan of the metropolitan Church of N' Djamena.

The new diocese of Gore in Chad, includes the sub-prefectures of Gore and Baibokoum to the south of the two mother dioceses Moundou and Doba. The territory has five parish centres each with several dependent mission stations. There are 10 priests of which three are diocesan and 7 are Capuchins of the S. Angelo Province of Foggia (Italy). There are 17 Sisters of three different institutes. At least 8 priests of this territory are working in other parts of the diocese of Moundou and Doba. Gore also has 9 major seminarians. The church runs several institutes: a minor seminary a Catechists Training Centre, five dispensaries, one of which is the largest health centre in Gore, two Catholic schools and one kindergarten. The Capuchins have a Postulate which serves the recently set up Capuchin Vice-Province of Chad and Central Africa. The new diocese has a large, modern church, St Mary of the Angels, built by the Capuchins, which will probably be used as the cathedral. The territory is difficult and isolated but socially homogenous. It is an farming area inhabited mainly by Ngambay people. As a border zone, it has suffered during civil war and disorder in recent years.

Here are the statistics of Gore, and Moundou and Doba after the creation of the new diocese:

Source: Fides, December 11, 1998

- CT