Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Durban

The Archdiocese of Durban presently under the leadership of Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM began as the Vicariate Apostolic of Natal which was erected on 15 November 1850 and placed under the leadership of Marie Jean Francois Allard, O.M.I. in 1851. Allard was created a bishop in the same year.

On the 11 January 1951, the Vicariate Apostolic was elevated to an Archdiocese with the title the Archdiocese of Durban. Bishop Denis Hurley, O.M.I., who had been the Vicar Apostolic since 1946 was elevated to Archbishop on the same day. As of 2002, the Church census shows that there were 217,468 Catholics in 74 parishes in the Archdiocese.

At present, the Province of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durban contains the following dioceses as suffragan sees:

• Dundee
  • Bishop Graham Rose appointed 30 August 2008.
• Eshowe
  • Bishop Thaddaeus Kumalo appointed 11 March 2008.
• Kokstad
  • Awaiting appointment
• Marianhill
  • Bishop Pius Mlungisi Dlungwana appointed 3 March 2006.
• Umtata
  • Bishop Oswald Hirmer appointed 28 June 1997.
• Umzimkulu
  • Bishop Stanisław Jan Dziuba, O.S.P.P.E. appointed 31 December 2008.
• Vicariate Apostolic of Ingwavuma
  • Bishop José Luís Gerardo Ponce de León, I.M.C. appointed 24 November 2008.

Coordinates: 29°53′00″S 31°03′00″E / 29.8833°S 31.0500°E / -29.8833; 31.0500