Diocese of Morogoro, Tanzania

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Morogoro / Morogoroën(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Dar-es-Salaam

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1906.05.11: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Central Zanguebar / Zanguebar Centrale (Italiano) / Zanguebaren(sis) Centralis (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Zanguebar)
1906.12.21: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Bagamoyo / Bagamoyen(sis) (Latin)
1910.09.13: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Kilima-Njaro
1935.01.28: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Dodoma
1953.03.25: Promoted as Diocese of Morogoro / Morogoroën(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Dar-es-Salaam)
2025.03.07: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Bagamoyo

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.05.31 – ...):

Bishop Lazarus Vitalis Msimbe, S.D.S. (61)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Morogoro (Roman Rite)

Bishop Lazarus Vitalis Msimbe, S.D.S. (61)
(2021.05.31 – ...)

Bishop of Morogoro (Tanzania)

Born:	1963.12.27 (Morogoro, Tanzania)
Ordained Priest:	1998.06.21
Consecrated Bishop:	2021.09.19

Apostolic Administrator of Morogoro (Tanzania) (2019.02.13 – 2021.05.31)

Bishop of Morogoro (Tanzania) (2021.05.31 – ...)

Fr. Lazarus Vitalis Msimbe, S.D.S. (61) (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2019.02.13 – 2021.05.31)

Bishop Telesphore Richard Mkude (79)
(1993.04.05 – 2020.12.30)

Bishop emeritus of Morogoro (Tanzania)

Swana Noiye Tumaini Langi

Born:	1945.11.30 (Pinde, Tanzania)
Ordained Priest:	1972.07.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1988.04.26

Priest of Morogoro (Tanzania) (1972.07.16 – 1988.01.18)

Bishop of Tanga (Tanzania) (1988.01.18 – 1993.04.05)

Bishop of Morogoro (Tanzania) (1993.04.05 – 2020.12.30)

Bishop Adriani Mkoba
(1966.12.15 – 1992.11.06)

Born:	1926.01.28 (Tanzania)
Ordained Priest:	1953.03.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1967.07.02
Died:	1995.10.07 († 69)

Bishop of Morogoro (Tanzania) (1966.12.15 – 1992.11.06)

Apostolic Administrator of Zanzibar and Pemba (Tanzania) (1968.07.16 – 1973.01.26)

Bishop Herman Jan van Elswijk, C.S.Sp.
(1954.07.18 – 1966.12.15)

Born:	1905.04.11 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:	1933.07.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1954.10.28
Died:	1987.11.03 († 82)

Bishop of Morogoro (Tanzania) (1954.07.18 – 1966.12.15)

Titular Bishop of Elephantaria in Mauretania (1966.12.15 – 1976.08.13)

Bishop Bernardo Gerardo Hilhorst, C.S.Sp.
(1953.03.25 – 1953.12.12)

Born:	1895.12.31 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:	1922.08.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1934.04.25
Died:	1954.08.11 († 58)

Titular Bishop of Metellopolis (1934.02.26 – 1953.03.25)

Vicar Apostolic of Bagamoyo (Tanzania) (1934.02.26 – 1953.03.25)

Bishop of Morogoro (Tanzania) (1953.03.25 – 1953.12.12)

Titular Bishop of Argos (1953.12.12 – 1954.08.11)

Vicars Apostolic of Bagamoyo (Roman Rite)

Bishop Bernardo Gerardo Hilhorst, C.S.Sp.
(1934.02.26 – 1953.03.25)

(see above)

Bishop Bartholomew Stanley Wilson, C.S.Sp.
(1924.01.09 – 1933.05.23)

Born:	1884.05.27 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1913.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1924.06.09
Died:	1938.10.28 († 54)

Titular Bishop of Acmonia (1924.01.04 – 1938.10.28)

Vicar Apostolic of Bagamoyo (Tanzania) (1924.01.09 – 1933.05.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone) (1933.05.23 – 1936.04.16)

Bishop François-Xavier Vogt, C.S.Sp.
(1906.07.25 – 1923.05.19)

Born:	1870.12.03 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1899.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1906.10.14
Died:	1943.03.04 († 72)

Vicar Apostolic of Bagamoyo (Tanzania) (1906.07.25 – 1923.05.19)

Titular Bishop of Celenderis (1906.07.25 – 1943.03.04)

Apostolic Administrator of Cameroun (Cameroon) (1922.04 – 1923.05.19)

Vicar Apostolic of Cameroun (Cameroon) (1923.05.19 – 1931.04.03)

Vicar Apostolic of Yaoundé (Cameroon) (1931.04.03 – 1943.03.04)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of St. Patrick, Morogoro, Morogoro

Iringa (↙), Dodoma (←), Arusha (↑), Tanga (↑), Bagamoyo (↗), Dar-es-Salaam (→), Ifakara (↓)

Statistics (2025)

Area: 33,186 km²

Population: 680,435 Catholics (38.9% of 1,747,982 total)

Pastoral Centres: 55 parishes

Personnel: 182 priests (102 diocesan, 80 religious), 16 religious (16 brothers)