The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chipata ( la, Chipaten(sis)) is a
diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
located in
Chipata in
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
.
History
* July 1, 1937: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Fort Jameson from the
Apostolic Vicariate of Nyassa Nyassa may refer to:
*Nyassa Company, a royal company which administered part of Mozambique between 1891 and 1929
*Niassa Province, a province of Mozambique
*Malawi, a country in Southern Africa once known as Nyasaland
*Lake Malawi, a lake between ...
in
Malawi
Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...
* May 7, 1953: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Fort Jameson
* April 25, 1959: Promoted as Diocese of Fort Jameson
* April 15, 1968: Renamed as Diocese of Chipata
Bishops
* Prefects Apostolic of Fort Jameson (Roman rite)
** Fr. Fernand Martin, M. Afr. (1937.12.17 – 1946; ''Apostolic Administrator 1946 – 1947.03.07'')
** Fr. Firmin Courtemanche, M. Afr. (1947.03.07 – 1953.05.07 ''see below'')
* Vicar Apostolic of Fort Jameson (Roman rite)
** Bishop Firmin Courtemanche, M. Afr. (''see above'' 1953.05.07 – 1959.04.25 ''see below'')
* Bishops of Fort Jameson (Roman rite)
** Bishop Firmin Courtemanche, M. Afr. (''see above'' 1959.04.25 – 1968.04.15 ''see below'')
*
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
s of Chipata (Roman rite)
** Bishop
Firmin Courtemanche
Firmin is a French surname and masculine given name, from the Late Latin Firminus, a derivative of ''firmus'' meaning "firm" or "steadfast". The instruction of St Paul to "be steadfast in the faith" gave the name great popularity among early Christ ...
,
M. Afr. (''see above'' 1968.04.15 – 1970.11.11)
** Bishop
Medardo Joseph Mazombwe
Medardo Joseph Mazombwe (24 September 1931 – 29 August 2013) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the former archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lusaka (1996–2006) and Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chipata (1 ...
(1970.11.11 – 1996.11.30), appointed Archbishop of Lusaka; future Cardinal
** Bishop George Cosmas Zumaire Lungu (since 2002.12.23)
Auxiliary Bishop
*
Benjamin S. Phiri (2011-2020), appointed Bishop of Ndola)
See also
*
Roman Catholicism in Zambia
The Catholic Church in Zambia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are over about three million Catholics in the country, or 21% of the total population. There are ten dioceses, inclu ...
Sources
GCatholic.org
Roman Catholic dioceses in Zambia
Christian organizations established in 1937
Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century
1937 establishments in Northern Rhodesia
Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Lusaka
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