Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Diocese of Mongu, 1997
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has created (June 14th 1997) the diocese of Mongu (Zambia) with territory taken from the diocese of Livingstone, making it suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of Lusaka.
The new diocese of Mongu (Zambia), suffragan of the Metropolitan Church of Lusaka, is situated in northern Zambia. Its territory which was once part of the Zambezi Mission, then of the Apostolic Prefecture of Broken Hill, in 1936 became the Apostolic Prefecture of Livingstone, entrusted to Irish Capuchin Fathers. It was then made into an Apostolic Vicariate and in 1956 a diocese. The reasons for the division are the following: the size of the diocese; impossibility to guarantee sufficient pastoral care for the faithful; existing structures for a new ecclesiastical circumscriptions; well advanced evangelization with promising prospects.
Here are the statistics of the Mother diocese and the New Diocese:
Livingstone before |
MONGU |
Livingstone now |
|
Area |
145,500 sq km |
87,300 sq km |
58,200 sq km |
Population |
887,797 |
542,596 |
345,201 |
Catholics |
96,606 |
46,01 |
50,596 |
Parishes |
22 |
10 |
12 |
Priests (dioc) |
8 |
4 |
4 |
Priests (Religious) |
33 |
16 |
17 |
Brothers |
15 |
11 |
4 |
Sisters |
111 |
71 |
40 |
Major seminarians |
12 |
4 |
8 |
Catechists |
494 |
253 |
241 |
Institutes - education |
11 |
6 |
5 |
The residence of the new Bishop, which will have to be built, will be in the town of Mongu, and the parish church of Our Lady of Lourdes will be the cathedral.
The new diocese includes the civil districts of Kalabo, Kaoma, Lukulu, Mongu and Sangra. In its territory are the minor seminary, numerous religious institutes, three Catholic secondary schools, a teachers Training Centre and the Postulates of the Holy Cross Sisters and Holy Spirit Sisters.
Source: Fides, July 4th, 1997
- CT