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