The Apostolic Vicariate of Awasa ( la, Vicariatus Apostolicus Avasanus) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

Apostolic Vicariate in central

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. It is exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

(notably the Roman missionary

Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: * Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...

), not part of any ecclesiastical province. Its

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

episcopal see is the Kidane Mehret Cathedral located in the city of

Awasa Hawassa ( am, አዋሳ; ʾäwasa, also spelled Awassa or Awasa) known historically as Adare is a city in Ethiopia, on the shores of Lake Awassa in the Great Rift Valley. It is south of Addis Ababa via Bishoftu, east of Sodo, and north of ...

, on the shores of

Lake Awasa Lake Hawassa or Awasa, is an endorheic basin in Sidama Region of Ethiopia, located in the Main Ethiopian Rift south of Addis Ababa, the capital city of the country. According to the ''Statistical Abstract of Ethiopia for 1967/68'', the lake is ...

in the

Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it ...

. The Vicariate of Awasa comprises the following: Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Representatives State (SNNPRSRS): # Sidama zone # Gedeo zone # Amaaro (special Wereda (District) # Burji (special Wereda (District) Oromia region: # Guji zone # Borana Zone Somali region: #Liben Zone

History

* Established on March 25, 1937 as the

Apostolic Prefecture An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

of Neghelli, on Ethiopian territories split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Galla and Apostolic Prefecture of Kaffa * On 1940.02.13 it lost territory to establish the then Apostolic Prefecture of Hosanna * Renamed after its see on October 15, 1969 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Awasa * Promoted on March 15, 1979 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Awasa, hence entitled to a

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...

Ordinaries

(all Roman rite; so far missionary members of Latin congregations) ;''Apostolic Prefect of Neghelli'' * Fr. Gabriele Arosio,

Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions The Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions or PIME ( la, Pontificium Institutum pro Missionibus Exteris; it, Pontificio Istituto Missioni Estere) is a society of secular priests and lay people who dedicate their lives to missionary activitie ...

(P.I.M.E.) (May 21, 1937 – death 1945) * Urbain-Marie Person,

Capuchin Franciscans The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

(O.F.M. Cap.) (January 2, 1952 – October 15, 1969 'see below''); ''also

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...

of Harar (below) (1952 – 1955.07.03), Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Vicariate of Gimma (Ethiopia) (1952–1958), Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Prefecture of Hosanna (Ethiopia) (1952.01.02 – 1972);

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...

of Cyme (1955.07.03 – 1994.02.09) & Apostolic Vicar of

Harar Harar ( amh, ሐረር; Harari: ሀረር; om, Adare Biyyo; so, Herer; ar, هرر) known historically by the indigenous as Gey (Harari: ጌይ ''Gēy'', ) is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Saint ...

(Ethiopia) (1955.07.03 – 1981.12.04) ;''Apostolic Prefects of Awasa (Hawassa / Auasa) * Urbain-Marie Person,

(O.F.M. Cap.) (''see above'' October 15, 1969 – retired February 16, 1973) * Fr. Armido Gasparini,

Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus Bold text The Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus ( la, Missionarii Comboniani Cordis Iesu), abbreviated MCCJ, also known as the Comboni Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, or the Verona Fathers, and originally called the Sons of the Sacred ...

(M.C.C.I.) (February 16, 1973 – March 15, 1979 ''see below'') ;''Apostolics Vicar of Awasa'' * Armido Gasparini, M.C.C.I. (''see above'' March 15, 1979 – December 20, 1993), Titular Bishop of Magnetum (1979.03.15 – death 2004.10.21) * Lorenzo Ceresoli, M.C.C.I. (December 20, 1993 – retired March 21, 2009), Titular Bishop of Fallaba (1993.12.20 – ...) * Giovanni Migliorati, M.C.C.I. (March 21, 2009 – May 12, 2016), Titular Bishop of Ambia (2009.03.21 – death 2016.05.12) *Roberto Bergamaschi, S.D.B. (2016.06.29 - ...)

References

External links

GCatholic.org with incumbent bio links

Catholic dioceses in Ethiopia Christian organizations established in 1937 Apostolic vicariates Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century Sidama Region Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region 1937 establishments in Ethiopia {{Africa-RC-diocese-stub