Archdiocese of Maseru

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maseru (Latin: Maseruen(us)) is the metropolitan see for the ecclesiastical province of Maseru in Lesotho. The cathedral church of the diocese is the Our Lady of Victories Cathedral.

History

• 8 May 1894: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Basutoland from the Apostolic Vicariate of Kimberley in Orange in South Africa
• 18 February 1909: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Basutoland
• 11 January 1951: Promoted as Diocese of Maseru
• 3 January 1961: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Maseru

Leadership

Prefects Apostolic of Basutoland

• Father Jules-Joseph Cénez, OMI (1895 – 25 January 1909); see below

Vicars Apostolic of Basutoland

• Jules-Joseph Cénez, OMI (25 January 1909 – 24 May 1930); see above
• Joseph Bonhomme, OMI (25 April 1933 – 8 March 1947)
• Joseph Delphis Des Rosiers, OMI (11 March 1948 – 11 January 1951); see below

Bishops of Maseru

• Joseph Delphis Des Rosiers, OMI (11 January 1951 – 3 January 1961), appointed Bishop of Qacha's Nek; see above

Archbishops of Maseru

• Emanuel Mabathoana, OMI (3 January 1961 – 20 September 1966)
• Alfonso Liguori Morapeli, OMI (13 April 1967 – 17 May 1989)
• Bernard Mohlalisi, OMI (11 June 1990 – 30 June 2009)
• Gerard Tlali Lerotholi (30 June 2009 – present)

Suffragan dioceses

• Leribe
• Mohale’s Hoek
• Qacha’s Nek

See also

• Catholic Church in Lesotho
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Lesotho

Sources

29°19′01″S 27°29′42″E/29.3170°S 27.4949°E/ -29.3170; 27.4949