Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Blantyre
| Archdiocese of Blantyre Archidioecesis Blantyrensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | |
| Country | Malawi |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 9,166 km2 (3,539 sq mi) |
| Population Total Catholics |
(as of 2022) 5,016,000 3,196,000 (63.7%) |
| Parishes | 43 |
| Information | |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | April 25, 1959 |
| Cathedral | Our Lady of Wisdom Cathedral |
| Patron saint | Our Lady Queen of All Hearts |
| Secular priests | 201 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Archbishop | Thomas Luke Msusa |
| Suffragans | Zomba Chikwawa Mangochi |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Blantyre (Latin: Archidioecesis Blantyren(sis)) is the Roman Catholic archdiocese for Blantyre in Malawi. The cathedral church of the archdiocese is the Our Lady of Wisdom Cathedral, Blantyre.
The Archdiocese of Blantyre is 9,166 square miles (23,740 km2). Out of a total population of 4,600,000, there are 1,133,850 Catholics. There are 78 priests and 287 religious. Currently, Thomas Luke Msusa SMM is the bishop of the diocese.
History
- 1903.12.03: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Shiré from Apostolic Vicariate of Nyassa
- 1908.04.14: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Shiré
- 1952.05.15: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Blantyre
- 1959.04.25: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Blantyre
Bishops
Ordinaries
- Prefect Apostolic of Shiré
- Father Auguste Prézeau, S.M.M.:1903.12.03 - 1908.04.18 see below
- Vicars apostolic of Shiré
- Auguste Prézeau, S.M.M.:see above 1908.04.18 - 1909.12.02
- Louis-Joseph-Marie Auneau, S.M.M.:1910.05.09 - 1949.12.25
- John Baptist Hubert Theunissen, S.M.M.:1949.12.25 – 1952.05.15 see below
- Vicar apostolic of Blantyre (Roman rite)
- John Baptist Hubert Theunissen, S.M.M.:see above 1952.05.15 – 1959.04.25 see below
- Metropolitan archbishops of Blantyre (Roman rite)
- John Baptist Hubert Theunissen, S.M.M.:see above 1959.04.25 – 1967.10.14
- James Chiona:1967.11.29 – 2001.01.23
- Tarcisius Gervazio Ziyaye:2001.01.23 - 2013.07.03; transferred to be Archbishop of Lilongwe due to a resignation
- Thomas Luke Msusa:2013.11.21 -
Auxiliary Bishops
- James Chiona (1965-1967), appointed Archbishop here
- Montfort Stima (Sitima) (2010-2013), appointed Bishop of Mangochi
Other priest of this diocese who became bishop
- Peter Martin Musikuwa, appointed Bishop of Chikwawa in 2003
Suffragan dioceses
- Diocese of Chikwawa
- Diocese of Mangochi
- Diocese of Zomba
See also
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Malawi
Canonical status and jurisdiction
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Blantyre is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church.[1]
- Part of: Ecclesiastical Province of Blantyre