Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Songea

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Songea () is the Metropolitan See for the ecclesiastical province of Songea in Tanzania.

History

• 12 November 1913: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Lindi from the Apostolic Vicariate of Dar-es-Salaam
• 15 December 1927: Promoted as Diocese of Lindi
• 23 December 1931: Demoted as Territorial Abbacy of Peramiho
• 6 February 1969: Promoted as Diocese of Songea

Special churches

The seat of the archbishop is at the St. Mathias Mulumba Kalemba Metropolitan Cathedral in Songea.

Bishops

Ordinaries

• Prefects Apostolic of Lindi (Latin Church)
• Willibrord Lay (1913–1922)
• Territorial Abbots of Peramiho (Roman rite)
• Gallus Steiger (22 February 1922 – 6 December 1952)
• Eberhard Spiess (9 September 1953 – 6 February 1969)
• Emmanuel Mapunda (8 August 1965 – 6 February 1986)
• Bishop of Songea (Latin Church)
• James Joseph Komba (6 February 1969 – 18 November 1987)
• Metropolitan Archbishops of Songea (Latin Church)
• James Joseph Komba (18 November 1987 – 1 February 1992)
• Norbert Wendelin Mtega (6 July 1992 – 15 May 2013)
• Damian Denis Dallu (14 March 2014 –)

Auxiliary bishop

• James Joseph Komba (1961–1969), appointed Bishop here

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• Emmanuel A. Mapunda, appointed Bishop of Mbinga in 1986

Suffragan dioceses

• Lindi
• Mbinga
• Mtwara
• Njombe
• Tunduru–Masasi

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Tanzania

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• Archdiocese of Songea website
• Catholic Hierarchy