Apostolic Vicariate of Meki

Bishop

Bishop Abraham Desta Vicar Apostolic of Meki, Ethiopia

Birthplace: Medea Sebea – North Shewa  Birth Date: 21 Mar 1951

Ordained Priest: 20 April 1980
Ordained Bishop: 10 May 2003

Meki apostolic vicariate is one of the ten dioceses of the Ethiopian Catholic Church. Its territory was part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Harar. The vicariate has structured Meki Catholic Secretariat (MCS) office in 1995 following the decentralization of the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat (ECS) office. The newly Structured MCS office developed a structure that held the Pastoral Coordinating Office of Meki (PACM), which is sited at Gighessa, and the Social Development Coordinating Office of Meki (SDCOM), which is sited at Meki Town, as its two main branches. The former one is meant for the spiritual activities, while the latter one is for the social and development activities. This was based on the underlying development philosophy that aimed to holistically undertake the Integrated Human Development of the community found throughout the Vicariate boundary.

EXTENT

Meki Vicariate is located between 4^o10’N-9^o00’N latitude and 38^o20’E-44^o35’E longitude in Oromiya
 National Regional  State. The Vicariate Office is found at a distance of 130 km southeast of Addis Ababa
 in East Shoa Zone, Dugda Bora Woreda at Meki Town. The working area of the Vicariate includes Bale, Arsi, and part of the East Shewa Zones of the Oromiya National Regional State, and also a few areas found around Wendogenet, Koshe, and Alaba of the Southern Regional State. Its area coverage is estimated to be 156,600 sq. km.

APPROXIMATE FIGURES

The human population of the Vicariate area is densely populated in the mid and highland areas of Arsi and Bale Zones, while it is sparsely populated in the lowlands of all zones. The total estimated population is greater than 6 million, with 41,024 Catholics in 16 parishes.