page_title: Christianity in the Gambia
section_title: Roman Catholicism
hierarchical_section_title: Christianity in the Gambia / Roman Catholicism
caption_attribution_description: English: Banjul, Eastern part of the town, west of Wellington street
context_page_description: Christians in the Gambia constitute approximately 3 percent of the country's population
  The government did not establish a state religion, but the predominant religion is Islam, practised by approximately 90% of the country's population. Article 25 of the Constitution protects the rights of citizens to practise any religion that they choose.
  The Christian community, situated mostly in the west and south of the country, is predominantly Roman Catholic; there are also several Protestant groups including Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and various small evangelical denominations. In 1963 the Gambia Christian Council was formed as an ecumenical association of Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Methodist churches.
  Intermarriage between Muslims and Christians is common. In some areas, Islam and Christianity are syncretized with animism.
context_section_description: In 1931 from the Apostolic Vicariate of Senegambia was established Mission “sui iuris” of Gambia. In 1951 Mission was promoted as the Apostolic Prefecture of Bathurst, in 1957 promoted as Diocese of Bathurst in Gambia (renamed in 1974 as Diocese of Banjul).
  Now there are about 42,400 (~2.4%) Catholics in the Gambia. The Diocese of Banjul is divided into 56 parishes.
  Bishop James Allen Yaw Odico is the present Catholic Bishop of the diocese of Banjul.
caption: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Banjul (the building with red roof)
exif: {}