Roman Catholic 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
Rite	Latin Rite
Cathedral	Christ the King Cathedral
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Xolelo Thaddaeus Kumalo

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Witbank (Latin : Vitbanken(sis)) is a 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