archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...
located in
Mbeya
Mbeya is a city located in south west Tanzania, Africa, with an urban population of 649,000 in 2023. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya Region, Mbeya region (population, with Mbeya, totals approx. 2 million).
Mbeya is situated a ...
in
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
.
History
* July 18, 1932: Established as
Mission “sui iuris”
In the canon law of the Catholic Church, a mission (, pl. ), also known as an independent mission, can be defined as: "an ecclesial structure erected from a previous territory, with explicit boundaries, under the care of a religious communit ...
of Tukuyu from the
Apostolic Vicariate of Tanganyika
The Apostolic Vicariate of Tanganyika was a Catholic apostolic vicariate (missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction) of the White Fathers missionary order at first centered on the mission of Karema in what is now Tanzania, that included parts of what a ...
* March 29, 1938: Promoted as Apostolic Prefecture of Tukuyu
* July 14, 1949: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Mbeya
* March 25, 1953: Promoted as Diocese of Mbeya (in the
ecclesiastical province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...
of
Songea
Songea is the capital of Ruvuma Region in southwestern Tanzania. It is located along the A19 road. The city has a population of 286,285,Max Theodor Franz Donders, M. Afr. (1932.11.11 – 1938)
* Prefects Apostolic of Tukuyu (Roman rite)
** Fr. Ludovico Haag, M. Afr. (1938.04.08 – 1947)
** Fr. Anthony van Oorschoot, M. Afr. (1947 – 1949.07.14 ''see below'')
* Vicars Apostolic of Mbeya (Roman rite)
** Bishop Anthony van Oorschoot, M. Afr. (''see above'' 1949.07.14 – 1953.03.25 ''see below'')
*
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
Evaristo Marc Chengula
Evaristo Marc Chengula (1 January 1941 – 21 November 2018) was a Tanzanian Roman Catholic bishop from the congregation of the Consolata Missionaries.
Biography
Chengula was born in Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of T ...
Gervas John Mwasikwabhila Nyaisonga
Gervas John Mwasikwabhila Nyaisonga (born 3 November 1966) is a Tanzanian prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mbeya since 2018. He was consecrated bishop on 2011. He previously served as Bis ...
(since 2018.12.21)
* Auxiliary bishops of Mbeya
** Bishop Godfrey Jackson Mwasekaga (since 9 March 2024)
Roman Catholicism in Tanzania
The Catholic Church in Tanzania is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
There are more than 23 million Catholics in the country, nearly one third of the total population.
Ecclesial structur ...
Mbeya
Mbeya is a city located in south west Tanzania, Africa, with an urban population of 649,000 in 2023. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya Region, Mbeya region (population, with Mbeya, totals approx. 2 million).
Mbeya is situated a ...
Mbeya
Mbeya is a city located in south west Tanzania, Africa, with an urban population of 649,000 in 2023. Mbeya is the capital of the surrounding rural Mbeya Region, Mbeya region (population, with Mbeya, totals approx. 2 million).
Mbeya is situated a ...