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HISTORICAL NOTES
AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Prefecture Apostolic of Hosanna was established by
the Apostolic Constitution "Quae Utilia" February 13, 1940, with
Territory taken from the Apostolic Vicariate of Neghelli. In
1975 it took the name of Soddo Hosanna and on October 15, 1982
was elevated to the status of Apostolic Vicariate of Soddo
Hosanna.
At the
beginning it was comprising the territories of Kambatta -Timbaro,
Hadiya and Wolayta, a territory where the evangelisation was
started on 1928 by Fr. Pascal of Luchon and other French and
Canadian Capuchins. In 1993 two territories were added, Dawro.
Konta, west of Omo river, and Gemu-Gofa in the south. All the
territory is in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples
Region (SNNPR) Total extension is of about 57,500 km2
and the population about 6,744.000. The Catholics, baptized
210,000 and Catechumens about 45,000.
At the very
beginning (1940-1942) the Prefecture was assisted by Italian
Capuchins. From 1942 up to 1952 sporadically by Ethiopian
diocesan Priests. From 1952up to 1969/70 by French Capuchins and
finally by Italian Capuchins and now mostly by Ethiopian
Capuchins and diocesan local Priests. The first Apostolic
Prefect was Fr. Tiziano da Verona, Capuchin. Then it was
entrusted to H. E. Mons. Urban person as Apostolic
Administrator. The actual Ordinary H.E. Mons. Domenico Marinozzi,
was appointed Apostolic Administrator on Nov. 1972, Apostolic
Prefect on February 1979 and Apostolic Vicar on October 1982.
The first
local diocesan priest, Abba W/Giorgis Mathews, was ordained on
1969. Mter a disappointing experience with an interdiocesan
seminary in Addis Ababa (Holcta) on the years 1970-75, the
Vicariate resumed fostering local diocesan vocation, sending
first the candidates to the minor seminary of Meki and the major
seminary of the archdiocese of Addis Ababa starting from 1985
and then opening a pre-seminary at Hosanna and the major
-seminary in Addis Ababa 1994. The number of candidates was
quite high, so that starting from 1993 every year the Vicariate
enjoyed new diocesan priests and at the present (2004) they are
35. Religious vocations are also very numerous in the Vicariate.
Many religious institutes are getting candidates from our
Christian Communities.
On 2002 the diocesan Synod was started.
On 2000 a
special maternity clinic was inaugurated at Dubbo, which on 2002
was upgraded to a small general hospital, with the collaboration
of CUAMM (Padova). It is giving a very appreciated service and
the number of the patients, coming also from faraway, is
obliging us to extend the staff and the buildings.
The
activities of the Vicariate, as part of the normal pastoral
activities, are:
Permanent
Programs:
o
28 kindergartens
o
14 primary schools (G 1-8)
o
1Kindergarten Teacher's Training Center
o
1 Vocational Training Center
o
1 small rural general Hospital (Dubbo)
o
1 Health centre (Taza)
o
5 Health Stations
o
4 Women in development/Gender and Development program
o
3
Orphan and Social rehabilitation program (Wolayta)
o
2 Post emergency transitional recovery project
o
1 Emergency relief project
o
2 Small scale food security pilot project
o
6 Integrated community development programs
Special
Projects
o
Water schemes
o Scholarship
o
High school at Soddo (in preparation)
o
Physical handicapped children rehabilitation centre (Taza)
o
Street children assistance (in preparation)
Considering
the growth of the christian communities and the number of the
faithful in the last 5 years 16 new parishes have been
established and other should be established in the next future.
For the same reason it has been proposed to the Ethiopian
Episcopal Conference to divide the Vicariate in two
circumscriptions.
In South Omo the first evangelisation is urgent among the many
primitive animist ethnical groups. But sorry it is difficult to
get Missionaries.
ORDINARY:
H.E. Mgr. Rodrigo Mejia Saldarriaga
Birth
Place Medellin -
Colombia
Birth
Date: September
05, 1935
Appointed
Bishop January 05, 2007
Consecrated at Soddo March
04, 2007
Residence: Soddo
Addresses
P. O. Box
132, Wolayta Soddo
Tel:
00.251.046.551.20.61
Fax:
00.251.046.551.20.63
E-mail:
sdcoshcs@ethionet.et,
pasgera@ethionet.et
Emeritus:
H.E.
Mgr. DOMENICO MARINOZZI, OFM Cap. Vicar Apostolic
Birth Place San
Severino M. Italy
Birth Date:
November 21, 1926
Ordained:
December 17, 1950
Appointed Administrator Apostolic: November 23, 1972
Prefect Apostolic: February
23, 1979
Vicar Apostolic
October 15, 1982
Ordained Bishop December
10, 1982
Residence: Loreto
- Italy
Curia Officials:
Vicar Delegate: Abba Weldeyesus Weldeghiorghis
P. O. Box
132, Soddo, Catholic Curch
Tel:
00.251.046.551.20.61
Presbyteral Council,
Pastoral Council and Laity Council,
Council of Consultants,
Administrative Council
Three Pastoral Zones: North, Central & South East. Zone
Formation
house
Major Seminary:
Run by: Diocesan priests
Director: Abba Dereje Titos
Spiritual Father: Abba W/Ghiorghis Mathewos
Abba Istefanos Felice, ECS
Teacher St. Francis Theology Institute: Abba W/Michael Hafebo
28 seminarians
Region: Addis Abeba
Kifle Ketema: Kolfe Keranyo
Kebele: 03
P.O. Box
22308, Tarro, Addis Ababa.
Tel:
00.251.011.279.16.49/279.31.73
Fax:
00.251.011.2 802714
Lay Organisations:
Diocesan Laity Council
Kambatta-Hadya Committee
Wolayta Committee
Parish Committee in each Parish
Village Committee in each Village Community
Youth Associations and Choirs: In each parish and in many
village communities.
Vocational groups: In many Parishes
Men and Women Associations: In some Parishes
Catholic Diocesan Secretariat and two Regional Development
Committees
Head Office: Soddo
P.O.Box
132
Tel: 00.251.046.551.20.62
Fax: 00.251.046.551 20 63
E-Mail:
sdcoshcs@telecom.net.et
Secretary General: Abba Weldeyesus Weldeghiorghis
Development Co-ordinator: Ato Tesfaye Tadesse
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