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

On 23 October 2000, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II created the diocese of Mpanda (Tanzania) with territory taken from the diocese of Sumbawanga making it suffragan of the metropolitan Church of Tabora.

The new diocese of Mpanda (Tanzania) with territory taken from the Sumbawanga diocese is situated in the southeast of Tanzania where Lake Tanganyka marks the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The reasons for the creation of the new diocese are as follows: the vast area of Sumbawanga diocese; the high percent of Catholics and the need to provide them with adequate spiritual care; the need to give greater impulse to pastoral work and make better use of the church personnel available.

Here are the statistics of the new diocese and the mother diocese:

Source: Fides, November 17th, 2000

- CT