Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Diocese of Lafia, 2000

The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has created (December 5, 2000) the diocese of Lafia (Nigeria) with territory taken from the archdiocese of Jos and from the diocese of Makurdi, making it suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of Abuja.

The new diocese of Lafia (Nigeria) will include all the territory of the new civil state of Nasarawa, (established on October 1996 with territory taken from Plateau state,) and it will have thirteen "local government areas": Akwanga, Nasarwa,Eggon, Wamba, Karu, Keffi, Lafia, Obi, Awe, Doma, Nasarawa, Toto, Keana and Kokona.

The creation of the new diocese will facilitate evangelization especially in these years almost forgotten for many years, but where at last there is hope for proclaiming the Gospel. It will also help to boost pastoral work among the Igbo living in the larger towns and among the Tiv farmers many are Catholics, in the southern part of the State near the River Benue. The Alago and Gwari peoples also show interest for the Gospel.

Here are the statistics of the two circumscriptions and the new diocese of Lafia.
Makurdi Jos LAFIA Makurdi now Jos now

Area

47,650 sq km

30,395 sq km

28,500 sq km

23,150 sq km

26,395 sq km

Population

3,805,000

2,780,000

1,510,000

2,510,000

2,560,000

Catholics

1,124,855

656,000

72,000

1,072,855

636,000

Parishes

64

34

13

53

32

Priests (dioc.)

151

72

19

139

67

Priests (Relig.)

13

14

8

6

14

Sisters

96

69

21

78

66

Seminarians

70

49

9

62

46

School

593

14

6

588

13

Charitable inst.

10

9

3

7

8

The new diocese will border to the west with the archdiocese of Abuja and the diocese of Lokoja, to the east with the archdiocese of Jos and the diocese of Jalingo, to the north with the archdiocese of Kaduna and the diocese of Kafanchan and to the south with the diocese of Makurdi and the diocese of Otukpo.

The new Bishop will have his see at Lafia where the parish church dedicated to St William will be the cathedral.

Source: Fides, January 5th, 2001

-CNy

av Webmaster publisert 08.09.2004, sist endret 08.09.2004 - 12:11