Polemonium Reptans

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Keetmanshoop (Latin: Keetmanshoopen(sis)) is a suffragan diocese in the Latin Rite Ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan of Windhoek in Namibia, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Its cathedral episcopal see is St. Stanislaus Cathedral, in the city of Keetmanshoop.

Statistics

As per 2015, it pastorally served 42,570 Catholics (23.6% of 180,000 total population) on 264,110 km² in 11 parishes and 32 missions with 16 priests (3 diocesan, 13 religious), 13 deacons, 65 lay religious (17 brothers, 48 sisters) and 2 seminarists.

History

July 7, 1909: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Great Namaqualand, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Orange River in South Africa
Promoted on July 14, 1930 as Apostolic Vicariate of Great Namaqualand
January 13, 1949: Renamed after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Keetmanshoop
Promoted on March 14, 1994 as Diocese of Keetmanshoop

Bishops

(all Roman rite, so far members of a missionary congregation)

Apostolic Prefects of Great Namaqualand

Fr. Stanislaus von Krolikowski, O.S.F.S. (1910 – death 1923.01.21)
Fr. Mattias Eder, O.S.F.S. (1923.03.16 – death 1930)

Apostolic Vicars of Great Namaqualand

Joseph Klemann, O.S.F.S. (1931.02.24 – retired 1942), Titular Bishop of Drusiliana (1931.02.24 – death 1960.03.21)
John Francis Eich, O.S.F.S. (1942.11.10 – death 1947.02.04), Titular Bishop of Cynopolis in Ægypto (1942.04.21 – 1947.02.04), succeeded as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Great Namaqualand (1942.04.21 – 1942.11.10)

Apostolic Vicars of Keetmanshoop

Francis Esser, O.S.F.S. (1949.01.13 – 1956), Titular Bishop of Claneus (1949.01.13 – 1962.09.12), next Coadjutor Bishop of Keimoes (South Africa) (1956 – 1962.09.12), succeeding as Bishop of Keimoes (South Africa) (1962.09.12 – death 1966.12.08)
Edward Francis Joseph Schlotterback, O.S.F.S. (1956.03.24 – retired 1989.10.02), Titular Bishop of Balanea (1956.03.24 – death 1994.12.09)
- Apostolic Administrator Father Ludger G. Holling, O.S.F.S. (1989 – 1993.05.28), no other prelature
Anthony Chiminello, O.S.F.S. (1993.05.28 – 1994.03.14 see below), Titular Bishop of Numana (1993.05.28 – 1994.03.14)