Diocese of Rulenge–Ngara

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rulenge–Ngara (Latin: Dioecesis Rulengensis–Ngarensis) is a diocese located in Rulenge in the ecclesiastical province of Mwanza in Tanzania.

Diocese of Rulenge–Ngara Dioecesis Rulengensis–Ngarensis
Location
Country	Tanzania
Metropolitan	Mwanza
Statistics
Area	20,720 km2 (8,000 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2004) 1,171,209 595,773 (50.9%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Severine Niwemugizi

History

• April 8, 1929: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Bubuka from the Diocese of Tabora and Apostolic Vicariate of Uganda in Uganda
• 1951: Promoted as Diocese of Bukoba
• June 21, 1960: Renamed as Diocese of Rulenge
• August 14, 2008: Renamed as Diocese of Rulenge–Ngara

Bishops

• Vicars Apostolic of Bukoba (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Burkard Huwiler, M. Afr. (1929.03.18 – 1946.03.20)
  • Bishop Lorenzo Tétrault, M. Afr. (1947.11.13 – 1951.03.20)
  • Bishop Alfred Lanctôt, M. Afr. (1951.12.13 – 1953.03.25 see below)
• Bishops of Bukoba (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Alfred Lanctôt, M. Afr. (see above 1953.03.25 – 1960.06.21 see below)
• Bishops of Rulenge (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Alfred Lanctôt, M. Afr. (see above 1960.06.21 – 1969.05.30)
  • Bishop Christopher Mwoleka (1969.06.26 – 1996.11.08)
  • Bishop Severine Niwemugizi (8 November 1996 - 14 August 2008 see below)
• Bishops of Rulenge–Ngara (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Severine Niwemugizi (see above since 14 August 2008)

Auxiliary Bishop

• Christopher Mwoleka (1969), appointed Bishop here

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

• Placidus Gervasius Nkalanga, O.S.B. (priest here, 1950-1961), appointed auxiliary bishop of Bukoba in 1961 (professed in O.S.B. in 1984)
• Protase Rugambwa, appointed Bishop of Kigoma in 2008, Archbishop in 2012, Cardinal and Archbishop of Tabora in 2023

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Tanzania

Further reading

Protase Rugambwa: Ministry and collaboration in small Christian communities: ″Communities in Rulenge Diocese-Tanzania, a case study″. Theological dissertation, Pontificia Università Lateranense, Rome, 1998.

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Website of the Catholic Diocese of Rulenge–Ngara Archived 2018-05-11 at the Wayback Machine

2.7179538°S 30.6321958°E / -2.7179538; 30.6321958