Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Prefecture Apostolic of Ubanghi-Chari

Prefecture Apostolic in Equatorial Africa, lies west of the Bahr-el-Ghazal territory and south of the Tchad district, and extends from 4°30' to 10° N. lat., and from 12° to 26°30' E. longitude. This region was formerly part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Ubanghi or Upper French Congo; its first mission post was established at Sainte-Famille on the Upper Ubanghi, about 1375 miles from the western coast by river, by R. P. Moreau, C.S.Sp., in 1895, among the Banzus or Banziris, in an almost unknown country. At the request of Mgr. Philippe-Prosper Augouard, C.S.Sp., titular Bishop of Sinide and Vicar Apostolic of Ubanghi, Ubanghi- Chari was withdrawn from his jurisdiction in May, 1909, and formed into a new prefecture Apostolic under the care of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost, R. P. Pierre Catel, C.S.Sp., being appointed prefect Apostolic. He resides at Sainte-Famille. The mission contains: 23 priests; 14 lay brothers; 11 nuns; 18 catechists; 15 stations; 17 churches and chapels; 22 schools, with 1756 pupils and 902 orphans; 3500 Catholics; and 2500 catechumens Boundaries: north and east, the Vicariate of the Sudan; south, the Prefectures of Uelle and Belgian Ubanghi, the Vicariate of Upper French Congo; west, the Vicariate of Camerun and the Prefecture of Northern Nigeria.

A. A. MACERLEAN