Diocese of

Chipata

Zambia

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Chipata / Chipaten(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Lusaka

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1937.07.01: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Fort Jameson / de Fort Jameson (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Nyassa and Mission sui juris of Lwangwa)
1953.05.07: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Fort Jameson / de Fort Jameson (Latin)
1959.04.25: Promoted as Diocese of Fort Jameson / de Fort Jameson (Latin) (became suffragan of Lusaka)
1968.04.15: Renamed as Diocese of Chipata / Chipaten(sis) (Latin)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2002.12.23 – ...):	Bishop George Cosmas Zumaire Lungu (64)
Auxiliary Bishop (2022.12.10 – ...):	Bishop Gabriel Msipu Phiri (60) Titular Bishop of Aræ in Mauretania

Ordinaries

Bishops of Chipata (Roman Rite)

Bishop George Cosmas Zumaire Lungu (64)
(2002.12.23 – ...)

Bishop of Chipata (Zambia)

Born:	1960.02.04 (Zumaire, Zambia)
Ordained Priest:	1985.08.29
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.02.23

Priest of Chipata (Zambia) (1985.08.29 – 2002.12.23)

Bishop of Chipata (Zambia) (2002.12.23 – ...)

President of Zambia Episcopal Conference (2008.02 – 2013)

Vice-President of Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (2017.11.11 – 2018.04.12)

President of Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (2018.04.12 – 2021.05.04)

Bishop Medardo Joseph Mazombwe (later Cardinal)
(1970.11.11 – 1996.11.30)

Ut salutem consequantor

Born:	1931.09.24 (Chundamira, Zambia)
Ordained Priest:	1960.09.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1971.02.07
Created Cardinal:	2010.11.20
Died:	2013.08.29 (Lusaka, Zambia † 81)

Priest of Chipata (Zambia) (1960.09.04 – 1970.11.11)

Bishop of Chipata (Zambia) (1970.11.11 – 1996.11.30)

President of Zambia Episcopal Conference (1972 – 1975)

President of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (1979 – 1986)

President of Zambia Episcopal Conference (1988 – 1990)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lusaka (Zambia) (1996.11.30 – 2006.10.28)

President of Zambia Episcopal Conference (1999 – 2002)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Emerenziana a Tor Fiorenza (2010.11.20 [2011.03.26] – 2013.08.29)

Bishop Firmin Courtemanche, M. Afr.
(1968.04.15 – 1970.11.11)

Born:	1913.03.06 (Saint-Pie-de-Bagot, QC, Canada)
Ordained Priest:	1939.06.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1953.09.21
Died:	1999.11.03 († 86)

Prefect Apostolic of Fort Jameson (Zambia) (1947.03.07 – 1953.05.07)

Coadjutor Bishop of Carystus (Greece) (1953.05.07 – 1959.04.25)

Vicar Apostolic of Fort Jameson (Zambia) (1953.05.07 – 1959.04.25)

Bishop of Fort Jameson (Zambia) (1959.04.25 – 1968.04.15)

Bishop of Chipata (Zambia) (1968.04.15 – 1970.11.11)

Bishops of Fort Jameson (Roman Rite)

Bishop Firmin Courtemanche, M. Afr.
(1959.04.25 – 1968.04.15)

(see above)

Vicars Apostolic of Fort Jameson (Roman Rite)

Bishop Firmin Courtemanche, M. Afr.
(1953.05.07 – 1959.04.25)

(see above)

Prefects Apostolic of Fort Jameson (Roman Rite)

Fr. Firmin Courtemanche, M. Afr. (later Bishop)
(1947.03.07 – 1953.05.07)

(see above)

Fr. Fernand Martin, M. Afr.
(Apostolic Administrator 1946 – 1947.03.07)

Fr. Fernand Martin, M. Afr.
(1937.12.17 – 1946)

Born:	1897.09.13 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1920
Died:	1964.07.02 († 66)

Prefect Apostolic of Fort Jameson (Zambia) (1937.12.17 – 1946)

Apostolic Administrator of Fort Jameson (Zambia) (1946 – 1947.03.07)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Benjamin S. Phiri (65) (later Archbishop) (2011.01.15 – 2020.07.03)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of St. Anne, Chipata, Eastern

Lusaka (↙), Kabwe (←), Mpika (↖), Mzuzu (↗), Lilongwe (→), Tete (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 69,106 km²

Population: 540,900 Catholics (22.0% of 2,454,788 total)

Pastoral Centres: 34 parishes

Personnel: 101 priests (70 diocesan, 31 religious), 203 religious (60 brothers, 143 sisters), 35 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.01.27

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