Diocese of Eshowe

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Bishop(s) Vacant Wilfrid Fox Napier, O.F.M., Cardinal, Apostolic Administrator

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Elevated: 11 January 1951 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Durban Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: South Africa Square Kilometers: 26,364 (10,183 Square Miles) Description: Comprises Zululand proper (except the districts of Ingwavuma, Ubombo, and Hlabisa) and four Natal districts (Vryheid, Paulpietersburg, Ngotshe, and Babanango) Official Web Site: http://eshowe.org/ Mailing Address: Bishop's House, 42-44 Webber Street, P.O. Box 488, Eshowe 3815, Zululand, South Africa Telephone: (035)474.4141 Fax: 474.4644

Historical Details

• Prefecture Apostolic of Zululand
  • Erected: 27 August 1921
  • Country: South Africa

• Vicariate Apostolic of Eshowe
  • Latin Name: Eshovensis
  • Elevated: 11 December 1923
  • Vicariate
  • Country: South Africa
  • Square Kilometers: 32,152 (12,418 Square Miles)

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Thomas (Franz Xaver) Spreiter, O.S.B. † (29 Aug 1921 Appointed - 14 May 1943 Retired)
• Aurelian (Josef) Bilgeri, O.S.B. † (12 Jun 1947 Appointed - 24 Jul 1973 Died)
• Mansuet Dela Biyase † (28 Feb 1975 Appointed - 1 Jul 2005 Died)
• Xolelo Thaddaeus Kumalo (11 Mar 2008 Appointed - 25 Nov 2020 Appointed, Bishop of Witbank)

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Prefecture Apostolic of Zululand
27 August 1921	Erected	Vicariate Apostolic of Natal	Prefecture Apostolic of Zululand (erected)
Vicariate Apostolic of Eshowe
11 December 1923	Elevated	Vicariate Apostolic of Natal (Mtunzini, Eshowe, NJcanshala, and Ugutu) Prefecture Apostolic of Zululand	Vicariate Apostolic of Eshowe
13 July 1938	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Eshowe (Tongaland) Prefecture Apostolic of Lydenburg (Piet Retief)	Prefecture Apostolic of Swaziland
Diocese of Eshowe
11 January 1951	Elevated	Vicariate Apostolic of Eshowe	Diocese of Eshowe
12 November 1962	Territory Lost	Diocese of Eshowe (Hlabisa and Portions of Ubombo) Diocese of Manzini (Ingwavuma and Portions of Ubombo)	Prefecture Apostolic of Ingwavuma (erected)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Vicariate Apostolic of Eshowe
1950	15,765	442,906	3.6%	1	32	33	477		63	100	12	ap1951
Diocese of Eshowe
1970	42,091	720,000	5.8%	4	45	49	859		78	220		ap1971
1980	59,148	1,028,000	5.8%	5	33	38	1,556		61	209	25	ap1981
1990	66,514	1,355,000	4.9%	14	24	38	1,750		50	166	29	ap1991
1999	79,725	2,000,000	4.0%	22	17	39	2,044		35	154	29	ap2000
2000	79,950	2,200,000	3.6%	23	16	39	2,050		37	139	29	ap2001
2001	80,000	2,200,000	3.6%	21	18	39	2,051		31	125	29	ap2002
2002	80,000	2,200,000	3.6%	23	17	40	2,000		32	129	51	ap2003
2003	80,600	2,200,600	3.7%	24	15	39	2,066		30	125	28	ap2004
2004	81,000	2,200,600	3.7%	25	16	41	1,975		28	125	28	ap2005
2006	82,400	2,305,000	3.6%	29	14	43	1,916		27	118	29	ap2007
2013	83,100	2,596,000	3.2%	32	20	52	1,598		33	118	35	ap2014
2016	74,600	2,710,000	2.8%	35	16	51	1,462		39	113	32	ap2017
2019	77,930	2,827,940	2.8%	37	18	55	1,416		31	97	33	ap2020
2021	80,100	2,908,900	2.8%	41	15	56	1,430		29	100	34	ap2022

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Xolelo Thaddaeus Kumalo (Bishop: 11 Mar 2008 to 25 Nov 2020)
• Wilfrid Fox Napier, O.F.M. (Apostolic Administrator: 24 Jan 2021)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Aurelian (Josef) Bilgeri, O.S.B. † (Vicar Apostolic: 12 Jun 1947; Bishop: 11 Jan 1951 to 24 Jul 1973)
• Mansuet Dela Biyase † (Bishop: 28 Feb 1975 to 1 Jul 2005)
• Theodos (Peter) Schall, O.S.B. † (Apostolic Administrator: 14 May 1943 to 3 Aug 1947)
• Thomas (Franz Xaver) Spreiter, O.S.B. † (Prefect: 29 Aug 1921; Vicar Apostolic: 26 Jan 1924 to 14 May 1943)

Source(s)

Vicariate Apostolic of Eshowe Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 16, Page 34, and Page 35 Diocese of Eshowe Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 43, Page 257, to Page 263

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