Diocese of

Hwange

Zimbabwe

Continent: Southern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Hwange / Huangen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Bulawayo

Neighbouring Dioceses: Livingstone (↖), Monze (↑), Gokwe (→), Bulawayo (↘), Francistown (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Immaculate Conception (December 8)

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1953.06.29: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Wankie / Vankien(sis) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Bulawayo and Apostolic Vicariate of Salisbury)
1963.03.01: Promoted as Diocese of Wankie / Vankien(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Salisbury)
1988.04.08: Renamed as Diocese of Hwange / Huangen(sis) (Latin)
1991.06.17: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Gokwe
1994.06.10: Became suffragan of Bulawayo

Contact Info

Address: Bishop’s House, Old Bulawayo Road, Box 25, Hwange, Zimbabwe

Phone: (081) 22325

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.07.05 – ...):

Bishop Raphael Macebo Mabuza Ncube (52)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Hwange (Roman Rite)

Bishop Raphael Macebo Mabuza Ncube (52)
(2021.07.05 – ...)

Bishop of Hwange (Zimbabwe)

In nomine Domini

Born:	1973.10.04 (Nkayi, Zimbabwe)
Ordained Priest:	2001.02.03
Consecrated Bishop:	2021.10.30

Priest of Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) (2001.02.03 – 2021.07.05)

Bishop of Hwange (Zimbabwe) (2021.07.05 – ...)

Bishop Joseph Albert Serrano Antón, I.E.M.E. (83)
(2006.12.05 – 2021.07.05)

Bishop emeritus of Hwange (Zimbabwe)

Regnum tuum voluntas tua

Born:	1942.04.14 (Zaragoza, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1966.07.01
Consecrated Bishop:	2007.02.03

Bishop of Hwange (Zimbabwe) (2006.12.05 – 2021.07.05)

Bishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu (70) (later Archbishop)
(1999.02.09 – 2004.06.10)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Harare (Zimbabwe)

The Lord is my Shepherd

Born:	1955.12.25 (Tshongokwe, Zimbabwe)
Ordained Priest:	1983.08.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1999.05.09

Priest of Hwange (Zimbabwe) (1983.08.28 – 1999.02.09)

Bishop of Hwange (Zimbabwe) (1999.02.09 – 2004.06.10)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Harare (Zimbabwe) (2004.06.10 – ...)

President of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (2006 – 2010)

Vice-President of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (2014 – 2018.05)

Apostolic Administrator of Chinhoyi (Zimbabwe) (2016.02.17 – 2017.12.30)

President of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (2018.05 – 2022)

General Secretary of Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (2019.11 – 2022.09.26)

Apostolic Administrator of Masvingo (Zimbabwe) (2022.07.19 – 2023.09.15)

Bishop Ignacio Prieto Vega, I.E.M.E.
(1963.03.01 – 1999.02.09)

Born:	1923.03.09 (Besande, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1947.08.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1963.04.28
Died:	2008.05.09 († 85)

Bishop of Hwange (Zimbabwe) (1963.03.01 – 1999.02.09)

President of Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (1974 – 1975)

Prefects Apostolic of Wankie (Roman Rite)

Fr. Dominic Ros Arraiza, I.E.M.E.
(1956.10.19 – 1963)

Died:

1963

Prefect Apostolic of Wankie (Zimbabwe) (1956.10.19 – 1963)

Fr. Francesco Font Garcia, I.E.M.E.
(1953 – 1956)

Died:

1956

Prefect Apostolic of Wankie (Zimbabwe) (1953 – 1956)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of St. Ignatius, Hwange, Matabeleland North

Livingstone (↖), Monze (↑), Gokwe (→), Bulawayo (↘), Francistown (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 43,427 km²

Population: 44,000 Catholics (9.3% of 472,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 29 parishes

Personnel: 41 priests (32 diocesan, 9 religious), 78 religious (12 brothers, 66 sisters), 13 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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