Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza
| Archdiocese of Mwanza Archidioecesis Mvanzaënsis | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Tanzania |
| Territory | Mwanza |
| Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of Mwanza |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 1880 |
| Cathedral | Metropolitan Cathedral of the Epiphany |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Archbishop | Renatus Leonard Nkwande |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza (Latin: Archidioecesis Mvanzaënsis) is the Metropolitan See for the ecclesiastical province of Mwanza in Tanzania.
History
- 1880: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Nyanza from the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa in Sudan
- 1883: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Victoria–Nyanza
- April 10, 1929: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Mwanza
- March 25, 1953: Promoted as Diocese of Mwanza
- November 18, 1987: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mwanza
- November 27, 2010: Territory lost to Roman Catholic Diocese of Bunda
Special churches
The seat of the archbishop is the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Epiphany in Mwanza.
Bishops
- Vicars Apostolic of Mwanza (Roman rite)
- Bishop Jean-Joseph Hirth, M. Afr. (1894.07.13 - 1912.12.12), appointed Vicar Apostolic of Kivu
- Bishop Joseph Franciskus Marie Sweens, M. Afr. (1912.12.12 - 1928.11.12)
- Bishop Antoon Oomen, M. Afr. (1929.03.18 – 1950)
- Bishop Joseph Blomjous, M. Afr. (1950.06.25 – 1953.03.25 see below)
- Bishops of Mwanza (Roman rite)
- Bishop Joseph Blomjous, M. Afr. (see above 1953.03.25 – 1965.10.15)
- Bishop Renatus Lwamosa Butibubage (1966.01.15 – 1987.11.18)
- Metropolitan Archbishops of Mwanza (Roman rite)
- Archbishop Anthony Mayala (1987.11.18 - 2009.08.20)
- Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa'ichi, O.F.M.Cap. (2010.11.10 - 2018.06.21), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam
- Archbishop Renatus Leonard Nkwande (2019.02.11 - )
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic
- Joseph Franciskus Marie Sweens, M. Afr. (1910-1912)
Auxiliary Bishop
- Renatus Lwamosa Butibubage (1959-1965), appointed Bishop here
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
- Michael George Mabuga Msonganzila, appointed Bishop of Musoma in 2007
- Renatus Leonard Nkwande, appointed Bishop of Bunda in 2010; later returned here as Archbishop
Suffragan dioceses
See also
- Roman Catholicism in Tanzania
Canonical status and jurisdiction
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church.[1]
- Part of: Ecclesiastical Province of Mwanza