Diocese of

Kongolo

Congo-Kinshasa

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Kongolo / Kongoloën(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Lubumbashi

Neighbouring Dioceses: Kamina (↙), Kabinda (←), Kindu (↖), Kasongo (↑), Kalemie–Kirungu (↘), Manono (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1911.06.30: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Katanga / Katanga Settentrionale (Italiano) / de Katanga Septemtrionali (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Congo Belge and Apostolic Prefecture of Kasaï Supérieur)
1927.04.07: Exchanged territory with Apostolic Prefecture of Lulua Katanga
1935.06.18: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Katanga / Katanga Settentrionale (Italiano) / de Katanga Septemtrionali (Latin)
1951.03.08: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Kongolo / Kongoloën(sis) (Latin)
1956.04.23: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Kindu
1959.11.10: Promoted as Diocese of Kongolo / Kongoloën(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Elisabethville)
1966.03.10: Lost territory to Diocese of Kabinda
1971.04.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Manono
1971.05.08: Gained territory from Diocese of Baudouinville

Present Prelates

Bishop (2007.03.31 – ...):

Bishop Oscar Ngoy wa Mpanga, C.S.Sp. (61)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Kongolo (Roman Rite)

Bishop Oscar Ngoy wa Mpanga, C.S.Sp. (61)
(2007.03.31 – ...)

Bishop of Kongolo (Congo-Kinshasa)

Ut fructum afferatis

Born:	1964.12.05 (Kyolo, Congo-Kinshasa)
Ordained Priest:	1992.07.26
Consecrated Bishop:	2007.06.09

Bishop of Kongolo (Congo-Kinshasa) (2007.03.31 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Kalemie–Kirungu (Congo-Kinshasa) (2010.09.15 – 2015.03.31)

Bishop Jérôme Nday Kanyangu Lukundwe
(1971.01.16 – 2007.03.31)

Born:	1929 (Kabongo, Congo-Kinshasa)
Ordained Priest:	1962.08.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1971.05.30
Died:	2011.06.13 († 81)

Bishop of Kongolo (Congo-Kinshasa) (1971.01.16 – 2007.03.31)

Bishop Gustave Joseph Bouve, C.S.Sp.
(1959.11.10 – 1970.09.01)

Born:	1902.02.26 (Lo, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1928.08.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1950.08.24
Died:	1989.09.08 († 87)

Vicar Apostolic of Northern Katanga (Congo-Kinshasa) (1950.05.31 – 1951.03.08)

Titular Bishop of Cremna (1950.05.31 – 1959.11.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Kongolo (Congo-Kinshasa) (1951.03.08 – 1959.11.10)

Bishop of Kongolo (Congo-Kinshasa) (1959.11.10 – 1970.09.01)

Titular Bishop of Zama minor (1970.09.01 – 1971.03.04)

Vicars Apostolic of Kongolo (Roman Rite)

Bishop Gustave Joseph Bouve, C.S.Sp.
(1951.03.08 – 1959.11.10)

(see above)

Vicars Apostolic of Northern Katanga (Roman Rite)

Bishop Gustave Joseph Bouve, C.S.Sp.
(1950.05.31 – 1951.03.08)

(see above)

Bishop Giorgio Giuseppe Haezaert, C.S.Sp.
(1935.06.18 – 1949)

Born:	1883.06.28 (Saint Nicolas-Waes, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1912.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1935.11.30
Died:	1957.09.29 (Kongolo, Congo-Kinshasa † 74)

Prefect Apostolic of Northern Katanga (Congo-Kinshasa) (1931.02.19 – 1935.06.18)

Vicar Apostolic of Northern Katanga (Congo-Kinshasa) (1935.06.18 – 1949)

Titular Bishop of Pertusa (1935.06.18 – 1957.09.29)

Prefects Apostolic of Northern Katanga (Roman Rite)

Fr. Giorgio Giuseppe Haezaert, C.S.Sp. (later Bishop)
(1931.02.19 – 1935.06.18)

(see above)

Fr. Luigi Lempereur, C.S.Sp.
(1922 – 1930)

Died:

1930

Prefect Apostolic of Northern Katanga (Congo-Kinshasa) (1922 – 1930)

Fr. Emilio Callewaert, C.S.Sp.
(1912 – 1922)

Died:

1922

Prefect Apostolic of Northern Katanga (Congo-Kinshasa) (1912 – 1922)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale Sacré-Cœur-de-Marie, Kongolo, Tanganyika

Kamina (↙), Kabinda (←), Kindu (↖), Kasongo (↑), Kalemie–Kirungu (↘), Manono (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 44,200 km²

Population: 301,000 Catholics (18.1% of 1,666,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 18 parishes

Personnel: 81 priests (78 diocesan, 3 religious), 62 religious (5 brothers, 57 sisters), 59 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

© 2026 GCatholic.org