Diocese of Witbank

Diocese of Witbank Dioecesis Vitbankensis
Location
Country	South Africa
Metropolitan	Johannesburg
Statistics
Area	56,886 km2 (21,964 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2004) 2,528,000 103,278 (4.1%)
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Cathedral	Christ the King Cathedral
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Xolelo Thaddaeus Kumalo

The Diocese of Witbank (Latin : Vitbanken(sis)) is a Latin Catholic diocese located in the city of Witbank in the ecclesiastical province of Johannesburg in South Africa.

History

• June 12, 1923: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Lydenburg from the Apostolic Vicariate of Transvaal
• December 9, 1948: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Lydenburg
• January 11, 1951: Promoted as Diocese of Lydenburg
• September 13, 1964: Renamed as Diocese of Lydenburg – Witbank
• November 10, 1987: Renamed as Diocese of Witbank

Bishops

• Prefect Apostolic of Lydenburg (Roman rite)
  • Fr. Giovanni Riegler, M.C.C.I. (1939.06.30 – 1948.12.09 see below)
• Vicar Apostolic of Lydenburg (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Giovanni Riegler, M.C.C.I. (see above 1948.12.09 – 1951.01.11 see below)
• Bishops of Lydenburg (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Giovanni Riegler, M.C.C.I. (see above 1951.01.11 – 1955.10.06)
  • Bishop Anthony Reiterer, M.C.C.I. (1956.02.29 – 1964.09.13 see below)
• Bishops of Lydenburg – Witbank (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Anthony Reiterer, M.C.C.I. (see above 1964.09.13 – 1983.02.25)
  • Bishop Mogale Paul Nkhumishe (1984.01.09 – 1987.11.10 see below)
• Bishops of Witbank (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Mogale Paul Nkhumishe (see above 1987.11.10 – 2000.02.17), appointed Bishop of Pietersburg
  • Bishop Paul Mandla Khumalo, C.M.M. (2001.10.02 – 2008.11.24), appointed Archbishop of Pretoria
  • Bishop Giuseppe Sandri, M.C.C.J. (2009.11.05 – 2019.05.30)
  • Bishop Xolelo Thaddaeus Kumalo (since 2020.11.25)

Auxiliary Bishop

• Mogale Paul Nkhumishe (1981–1984), appointed Bishop here

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• João Noé Rodrigues, appointed Bishop of Tzaneen in 2010

See also

• Roman Catholicism in South Africa

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy

33°35′00″S22°12′00″E / 33.5833°S 22.2000°E / -33.5833; 22.2000