CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE

OF BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE

Diocesan Feastday:  

The Immaculate Heart of Mary  

The Independent Mission of Bulawayo, separated from Salisbury Prefecture, was erected 23 December 1930 and confided to the Mariannhill Missionaries. On 13 July 1932 Bulawayo was raised to a Prefecture Apostolic and became a Vicariate Apostolic on 13 April 1937. In 1953, Hwange District and that part of Shangani District situated between Kana and Shangani River was cut off from the Bulawayo Vicariate and formed into the Wankie Prefecture. On 1 January 1955, the Vicariate Apostolic of Bulawayo was given the status of a Diocese. In 1959, Tati Concession, Botswana north of the Tropic of Capricorn, was cut off from the Diocese of Bulawayo. On 10 June 1994, the Diocese of Bulawayo was raised to a Metropolitan See with the Dioceses of Gweru and Hwange as suffragans. Since the division of Gweru diocese the suffragan Sees of the Bulawayo Province are Gweru, Hwange and Masvingo.

The Holy Father John Paul II appointed Henry E. Karlen CMM as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Bulawayo. The Archdiocese of Bulawayo comprises the following civil districts: Bulilima, Mangwe, Nyamandhlovu, Tsholotsho, Bubi, part of Lupane and Nkayi with Shangani River as boundary, Insiza, Umzingwane, Beitbridge and Gwanda west of Umzingwane River, Matobo.

Area:                69,456 square km

Population:      1.925.000

Catholics:        140.000

HISTORY

.

1930.12.23 - Established as Mission “sui iuris” of Bulawayo / Bulauaien(sis) (Latin)

                     (from Apostolic Prefecture of Salisbury)
1932.07.13 - Promoted as Apostolic Prefecture of Bulawayo / Bulauaien(sis) (Latin)
1937.04.13 - Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Bulawayo / Bulauaien(sis) (Latin)
1955.01.01 - Promoted as Diocese of Bulawayo / Bulauaien(sis) (Latin)
1994.06.10 - Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bulawayo / Bulauaien(sis) (Latin)

ORDINARIES
Metropolitan Archbishops of Bulawayo (Roman Rite)
Archbishop Alex Thomas Kaliyanil, S.V.D.
Born: 1960.05.27 (India)
Ordained Priest: 1988.05.07
Consecrated Bishop: 2009.09.12

Fr. Martin Schupp, C.M.M.
Apostolic Administrator (2007.09.11 – 2009.06.20)

Archbishop Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube
Metropolitan Archbishop of Bulawayo (1997.10.24 – 2007.09.11)

Archbishop Ernst Heinrich Karlen, C.M.M.
Bishop of Mthatha (South Africa) (1968.09.26 – 1974.05.09)
Bishop of Bulawayo (1974.05.09 – 1994.06.10)
President of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (Z.C.B.C.) (1975 – 1977)
Metropolitan Archbishop of Bulawayo (1994.06.10 – 1997.10.24)

Bishops of Bulawayo (Roman Rite)
Bishop Ernst Heinrich Karlen, C.M.M. (later Archbishop)
(1974.05.09 – 1994.06.10)

Bishop Adolph Gregory Schmitt, C.M.M.
(1955.01.01 – 1974)
Titular Bishop of Nasai (1950.12.23 – 1955.01.01)
Vicar Apostolic of Bulawayo (1950.12.23 – 1955.01.01)
Bishop of Bulawayo (1955.01.01 – 1974)

Vicars Apostolic of Bulawayo
Bishop Adolph Gregory Schmitt, C.M.M.
(1950.12.23 – 1955.01.01)

Bishop Ignazio Arnoz, M.H.M.
(1937.04.13 – 1950.02.26)
Ecclesiastical Superior of Bulawayo (1931 – 1932.07.13)
Prefect Apostolic of Bulawayo (1932.07.13 – 1937.04.13)
Titular Bishop of Busiris (1937.04.13 – 1950.02.26)
Vicar Apostolic of Bulawayo (1937.04.13 – 1950.02.26)

Prefects Apostolic of Bulawayo
Fr. Ignazio Arnoz, M.H.M. (later Bishop)
(1932.07.13 – 1937.04.13)
(see above)

Ecclesiastical Superiors of Bulawayo
Fr. Ignazio Arnoz, M.H.M. (later Bishop)
(1931 – 1932.07.13)
(see above)

Fr. Giovanni Matteo Konings, O.S.C.
(1926 – 1929)