Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Apostolic Vicariate of Francistown, 1998
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has created (June 27th 1998) the Vicariate Apostolic of Francistown (Botswana), with territory taken from the diocese of Gaborone.
The new Vicariate Apostolic of Francistown in Botswana, was created for the following reasons:
- the vast size of Gaborone diocese, from which the new territory has been taken, until now the only ecclesiastical circumscription in Botswana
- the Church has little contact with the northern areas, also because of poor communications
- Catholics in the northern districts require the presence of the Church
- the population, mostly Tswana, are very open to the Gospel.
Here are the statistics of the mother diocese and the new Vicariate Apostolic:
|
|
Gaborone before |
Francistown |
Gaborone today |
||||
|
Area |
582,000 sq km |
472,995 sq km |
109,005 sq km |
||||
|
Population |
1,326,796 |
705,774 |
621,022 |
||||
|
Catholics |
53,325 |
16,000 |
37,325 |
||||
|
Parishes |
42 |
17 |
25 |
||||
|
Priests (Diocesan) |
7 |
2 |
5 |
||||
|
Priests (Religious) |
42 |
17 |
25 |
||||
|
Sisters |
42 |
5 |
37 |
||||
|
Major Seminarians |
10 |
- |
- |
||||
The new Vicariate will include six civil districts: Nagaminland, Chobe, North East, Francistown, Central, Gantsi.
The Vicariate will have its See in Francistown where there is a church dedicated to Our Lady of the Desert Mission, which will become the Cathedral. The new Vicariate has been entrusted to the Divine Word Missionaries.
Source: Fides, July 31, 1998
- CT