Diocese of Ambanja, Madagascar

Continent: Southern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Ambanja / Ambaniaën(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Antsiranana

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1848.09.04: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Isole di Mayotta, Nossi-Bé e Comore (Italiano) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Madagascar)
1932.02.02: Gained territory from Apostolic Vicariate of Diégo-Suarez
1938.06.14: Renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Ambanja / Ambaniaën(sis) (Latin)
1951.03.08: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Ambanja / Ambaniaën(sis) (Latin)
1955.09.14: Promoted as Diocese of Ambanja / Ambaniaën(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Tananarive)
1958.12.11: Became suffragan of Diégo-Suarez
1975.06.05: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Administration of Comores

Present Prelates

Bishop (2022.11.11 – ...):

Bishop Donatien Francis Randriamalala, M.S. (54)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Ambanja (Roman Rite)

Bishop Donatien Francis Randriamalala, M.S. (54)
(2022.11.11 – ...)

Bishop of Ambanja (Madagascar)

Born:	1971.01.06 (Antsirabé, Madagascar)
Ordained Priest:	2003.08.19
Consecrated Bishop:	2023.01.15

Bishop of Ambanja (Madagascar) (2022.11.11 – ...)

Archbishop Benjamin Marc Balthason Ramaroson, C.M. (69)
(Apostolic Administrator 2019.10.08 – 2022.11.11)

Bishop Rosario Saro Vella, S.D.B. (72)
(2007.11.07 – 2019.07.08)

Bishop of Moramanga (Madagascar)

Crux spes unica

Born:	1952.05.08 (Canicatti, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1979.05.27
Consecrated Bishop:	2007.12.15

Bishop of Ambanja (Madagascar) (2007.11.07 – 2019.07.08)

Bishop of Moramanga (Madagascar) (2019.07.08 – ...)

Archbishop Odon Marie Arsène Razanakolona (78)
(Apostolic Administrator 2005.12.07 – 2007.11.07)

Bishop Odon Marie Arsène Razanakolona (78) (later Archbishop)
(1998.11.28 – 2005.12.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Antananarivo (Madagascar)

Born:	1946.05.24 (Fianarantsoa, Madagascar)
Ordained Priest:	1975.12.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1999.04.11

Priest of Fianarantsoa (Madagascar) (1975.12.28 – 1998.11.28)

Bishop of Ambanja (Madagascar) (1998.11.28 – 2005.12.07)

Apostolic Administrator of Ambanja (Madagascar) (2005.12.07 – 2007.11.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Antananarivo (Madagascar) (2005.12.07 – 2023.06.05)

Bishop Ferdinand Botsy, O.F.M. Cap. (84)
(1976.07.08 – 1997.10.25)

Bishop emeritus of Ambanja (Madagascar)

Born:	1940.06.13 (Nosy-Bé, Madagascar)
Ordained Priest:	1969.03.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1976.10.03

Bishop of Ambanja (Madagascar) (1976.07.08 – 1997.10.25)

Bishop Léon-Adolphe Messmer, O.F.M. Cap.
(1955.09.14 – 1975.06.05)

Born:	1900.09.26 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1925.03.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1951.06.29
Died:	1987.02.10 († 86)

Prefect Apostolic of Ambanja (Madagascar) (1937.11.12 – 1951.03.08)

Titular Bishop of Coropissus (1951.03.08 – 1955.09.14)

Vicar Apostolic of Ambanja (Madagascar) (1951.03.08 – 1955.09.14)

Bishop of Ambanja (Madagascar) (1955.09.14 – 1975.06.05)

Apostolic Administrator of Comores (Comoros) (1975.06.05 – 1980.05.02)

Vicars Apostolic of Ambanja (Roman Rite)

Bishop Léon-Adolphe Messmer, O.F.M. Cap.
(1951.03.08 – 1955.09.14)

(see above)

Prefects Apostolic of Ambanja (Roman Rite)

Fr. Léon-Adolphe Messmer, O.F.M. Cap. (later Bishop)
(1937.11.12 – 1951.03.08)

(see above)

Prefects Apostolic of Isole di Mayotta, Nossi-Bé e Comore (Roman Rite)

Fr. Callisto Lopinot, O.F.M. Cap.
(1932.05.15 – 1937)

Died:

1937

Prefect Apostolic of Isole di Mayotta, Nossi-Bé e Comore (Madagascar) (1932.05.15 – 1937)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale Saint-Joseph, Ambanja, Antsiranana

Mahajanga (↙), Antsiranana (↗), Fenoarivo Atsinanana (↘), Port-Bergé (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 34,083 km²

Population: 185,523 Catholics (7.0% of 2,647,244 total)

Pastoral Centres: 20 parishes, 7 missions

Personnel: 84 priests (31 diocesan, 53 religious), 286 religious (58 brothers, 228 sisters), 22 seminarians