The Apostolic Vicariate of Awasa () is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Apostolic Vicariate An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church under a titular bishop centered in missionary regions and countries where dioceses or parishes have not yet been established. The status of apostolic vicariate is often ...

in central

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

. It is exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the

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(notably the Roman missionary

Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; ) was a congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for Catholic missions, missionary work and related activities. It is also kn ...

), not part of any ecclesiastical province. Its

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

is the Kidane Mehret Cathedral located in the city of Awasa, on the shores of Lake Awasa in the Great Rift Valley. The Vicariate of Awasa comprises the following: Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Representatives State (SNNPRSRS): # Sidama zone # Gedeo zone # Amaaro (special Wereda (District) # Burji (special Wereda (District) Oromia region: # Guji zone # Borana Zone Somali region: #Liben Zone

History

* Established on March 25, 1937 as the

Apostolic Prefecture An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

of Neghelli, on Ethiopian territories split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Galla and Apostolic Prefecture of Kaffa * On 1940.02.13 it lost territory to establish the then Apostolic Prefecture of Hosanna * Renamed after its see on October 15, 1969 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Awasa * Promoted on March 15, 1979 as the

of Awasa, hence entitled to a

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Ordinaries

(all

Roman rite The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...

; so far missionary members of Latin congregations) ;''Apostolic Prefects of Neghelli'' * Fr. Gabriele Arosio, Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (P.I.M.E.) (May 21, 1937 – death 1945) * Urbain-Marie Person, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (January 2, 1952 – October 15, 1969 ''see below''); ''also

Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

of Harar (below) (1952 – 1955.07.03), Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Vicariate of Gimma (Ethiopia) (1952–1958), Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Prefecture of Hosanna (Ethiopia) (1952.01.02 – 1972);

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Cyme (1955.07.03 – 1994.02.09) & Apostolic Vicar of

Harar Harar (; Harari language, Harari: ሀረር / ; ; ; ), known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey (Harari: ጌይ, ݘٛىيْ, ''Gēy'', ), is a List of cities with defensive walls, walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is al ...

(Ethiopia) (1955.07.03 – 1981.12.04)'' ;''Apostolic Prefects of Awasa (Hawassa / Auasa)'' * Urbain-Marie Person, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (''see above'' October 15, 1969 – retired February 16, 1973) * Fr. Armido Gasparini,

Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus The Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (), also known as the Comboni Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, or the Verona Fathers, and originally called the Sons of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (''Congregatio Filiorum S. Cordis Iesu''), is a Cat ...

(M.C.C.I.) (February 16, 1973 – March 15, 1979 ''see below'') ;''Apostolic Vicars of Awasa'' * Armido Gasparini, M.C.C.I. (''see above'' March 15, 1979 – December 20, 1993), Titular Bishop of Magnetum (1979.03.15 – death 2004.10.21) * Lorenzo Ceresoli, M.C.C.I. (December 20, 1993 – retired March 21, 2009), Titular Bishop of Fallaba (1993.12.20 – ...) * Giovanni Migliorati, M.C.C.I. (March 21, 2009 – May 12, 2016), Titular Bishop of Ambia (2009.03.21 – death 2016.05.12) * Roberto Bergamaschi, S.D.B. (2016.06.29 - ...)

References

External links

GCatholic.org with incumbent bio links

Roman Catholic dioceses in Ethiopia Christian organizations established in 1937 Apostolic vicariates Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century Sidama Region Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region 1937 establishments in Ethiopia {{Africa-RC-diocese-stub