Catholic Archdiocese of Bulawayo

Its Latin name is Archidioecesis Bulauaiensis and it was established on the 10th of June 1994, covering area of almost 70 thousand square km with population of 1.5 million people. The total number of Catholics in the area is about 65 thousand.

The current Archbishop, the Most Reverend Alex Thomas Kaliyanil SVD, has been leading the archdiocese since 2009.

Zambesi Mission under the care of the Jesuits stretched from the Limpopo River northwards up to the 10th parallel of Southern Latitude; thus incorporating the whole of Southern Rhodesia (modern day Zimbabwe) and a very large part of Northern Rhodesia (modern day Zambia) up to the present northern border with the DRC (to the mouth of the Zambezi river, hence the name of Zambesi Mission), westwards along the Tropic of Capricorn to the eastern part of Bechuanaland (now called Botswana), up to the twenty second meridian of east longitude and eastwards to the present day Zimbabwe border with Portuguese East Africa (present day Mozambique). These boundaries enclosed a territory of 1 942 500 square kilometres (750 000 English miles).

On 20th June 1920 the first Conference of Catholic Missionaries in Rhodesia was held at Bulawayo at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The second Missionary Conference was held from 22nd June to the 21st July 1921 in Bulawayo. 

In 1927 Northern Rhodesia (today called Zambia) became a Prefecture Apostolic under the care of the Polish Jesuits, thus reducing the size of the Zambesi Mission's territory. The new name of this prefecture was "The Apostolic Prefecture of Broken Hill" and the Southern Rhodesia prefecture became the Salisbury Prefecture . The Pope at this time was Pope Pius XI. 

As missionary work progressed there was a movement to split the Southern Rhodesia territory into two along the lines of language distribution. The two main languages being Sindebele and Shona. This was duly done. The northern portion (Shona speakers) were under the care of the Trappist order (RMM) from Natal and the Matabeleland portion (Sindebele speakers) of Southern Rhodesia was under the care of the Jesuits.

In 1929 the Prefect Apostolic Mgr. R. Brown SJ suggested to the superior of the Trappists that the two orders exchange territories as the Trappists, having come from Natal, were used to working with Zulu speakers and Sindebele was closely allied to Zulu. The Jesuits on the other hand would relocate to Mashonaland and serve the Shona speakers. This swop would give the Trappists an independent territory. In October 1929 the last group of Trappists (now called Mariannhill Missionaries) left Mashonaland for Matabeleland. The first mission they resettled in Matabeleland was Empandeni in March 1930 and by April the same year the Mariannhill Missionaries had travelled to Bulawayo. Officially the Mission of Bulawayo was separated from the Salisbury Prefecture and officially confided to the care of the Mariannhill Missionaries on 1st May 1930. 

Thus the Independent Mission of Bulawayo, now separated from the Salisbury Prefecture, was officially erected on the 23rd December 1930. On 12 July 1932 the district of Bulawayo was raised to a Prefecture Apostolic and became a Vicariate Apostolic on 13 April 1937. 

The area of the Prefecture was further enlarged when the first church property outside of Southern Rhodesia was bought in April 1943 from the Tati Company. This land comprised two stands in Francistown and a concession for a "hut" to be built in the African township for the purposes of prayer. 

In 1953, Hwange District and that part of Shangani District situated between Kana and the Shangani River was cut off from the Bulawayo Vicariate to form the Wankie Prefecture.

On 1 January 1955, the Vicariate Apostolic of Bulawayo was given the status of a Diocese. The Prefecture Apostolic of Bechuanaland was established by the Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith on 13th May 1959. The care of this new prefecture was committed to the Irish and Scottish Passionist Fathers. The Tati Concession, which was under the Diocese of Bulawayo, was incorporated into this new Prefecture. The first Prefect Apostolic was Monsignor Urban Murphy CP.

The creation of this new prefecture reduced the area of the Diocese of Bulawayo to the confines of the current (2013) boundaries: part of Lupane district and Nkayi in the north, following the Shangani River in the east as it moves south towards the border with South Africa, then west along the bank of the Shashe river including the Tuli Conservancy and then north west along the national border with Botswana, skirting the Hwange National Park, cutting north east to Tsholotsho and rejoining the boundary of the Hwange diocese on the northern boundary of the Lupane district. 

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 His Lordship, the Right Reverend, Bishop Henry E. Karlen CMM as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Bulawayo. The Archdiocese of Bulawayo comprises the following civil districts: Bulilima, Mangwe, Nyamandlovu, Tsholotsho, Bubi, part of Lupane and Nkayi with the Shangani River as boundary, Insiza, Umzingwane,Matobo, Beitbridge and Gwanda west of the Umzingwane River. 

On 6th May 2013 St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was raised to the status of a Minor Basilica. The Solemn Mass celebrating this status was held on the 31st August 2013.

LEADERSHIP

Prefect of Bulawayo:
Giovanni Matteo Konings OSCR  1926-1929 

Ecclesial Apostolic of Bulawayo: 
Ignatius Arnoz CMM 1931 - 1932 

Prefect Apostolic of Bulawayo: 
Ignatius Arnoz CMM  1932 - 1937 

Vicars Apostolic of Bulawayo: 
Ignatius Arnoz CMM  1937 - 1950 
Adolph Gregory Schmidtt CMM  1950 - 1955 

Bishops of Bulawayo: 
Adolph Gregory Schmidtt CMM 1955 - 1974 
Ernst Henry Karlen CMM  1974 - 1994

Archbishops of Bulawayo: 
Ernst Henry Karlen CMM  1994 - 1997 
Pius Alick Ncube 1997 - 2007 
Alex Thomas Kaliyanil SVD since 20 June 2009

Its feast is on the Immaculate Heart of Mary solemnity in June.

In 1903 Fr. Barthelemy SJ, the founder of St. Georges school in Bulawayo and the then superior of the Jesuits in the Matabeleland province of the Zambesi Mission suggested that the new church be called "The Immaculate Conception" to honour the 50th Jubilee of the declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX. 

The foundation stone was laid and blessed on 25 March 1903 and the first service was on Easter Sunday 3 April 1904. The Bishop of Kimberly the Right Reverend Bishop M. Gaughran OMI celebrated a Pontifical High Mass on this day. 

A major extension to the existing church was begun in mid 1957 and the newly extended church was consecrated on Sunday 22 November 1959. This doubled the capacity of the Cathedral. The Centenary celebrations held on 3 August 2003 were led by the then current Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Joseph Edward Adams. 

The cathedral was raised to the status of a Minor Basilica on 21 June 2013 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments. The declaration and blessing of St. Mary's Cathedral Minor Basilica took place on 31 August 2013 and was performed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Archbishop George Kocherry.

Currently, our biggest project is the Renovation of St. Bernard's Minor Seminary at Pumula in Bulawayo. The seminary was built in late 1960s and require renovations to roof, ablution facility and plumbing.

Any donation for our ongoing projects will be highly appreciated. You can send your donation to our Finance Office.