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Apostolic vicariate Gambella, Ethiopia

Diocese of Gambella

Gambellen(sis)

Latin Church

Latin Church apostolic vicariate in Gambella, Ethiopia, erected as an apostolic prefecture in 2000 and promoted to a vicariate in 2009. The vicar apostolic is Bishop Roberto Bergamaschi, with Hailemariam Medhin Tesfay appointed coadjutor in 2026.

On the map

Esri
Gambella, Ethiopia, drawn to the town rather than to the door: the register holds no verified address for its cathedral.

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Established
2000
Catholics
38,000
Priests
17
Territory
50,000 km²

Parishes and churches

15 listed churches in our records. Open a parish for Mass times, confession, directions and sources where recorded.

This is our recorded coverage, not an official diocesan parish count. Confirm service times with the parish before travelling.

The bishop

Eparch
Roberto Bergamaschi
Born
17 December 1954
Birthplace
San Donato Milanese
Institute
SOCIETÀ SALESIANA DI S. GIOVANNI BOSCO (SALESIANI)

Explore the ministry of the bishop.

The cathedral

St. Joseph Cathedral stands in Gambella, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

History

In the western part of Ethiopia, the Apostolic Vicariate of Gambella (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Gambellensis), formerly the Apostolic Prefecture of Gambella, is a Catholic missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction known as an apostolic vicariate. It is exempt, that is, immediately dependent upon the Holy See (notably the Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples), belonging to no ecclesiastical province such as the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Addis Abbeba. Its cathedral episcopal see is the St. Joseph Cathedral in Gambela, and its territory takes in all the Gambella Region together with a large part of Illubabor Zone in Oromia Region.