All roads lead to Chinhoyi University tomorrow, 07 April 2018 to witness the Episcopal consecration of Monsignor Raymond Mupandasekwa as the new shepherd of the diocese. Monsignor Mupandasekwa becomes the third bishop of Chinhoyi after the late Bishop Helmut Reckter S.J whose tenure as the head of the diocese lasted between 1986 and 2004 and Bishop Emeritus Dieter Scholz S.J who resigned in 2016. Catholics from across the country will be trooping to Chinhoyi to support the diocese in welcoming its new shepherd.
Chinhoyi diocese was created as a Mission when it was entrusted to the Germany Jesuits in 1958 and remained part of the Archdiocese of Harare until the erection of a separate Prefecture and the appointment of Monsignor Helmut Reckter S.J as Prefect Apostolic on 22 February 1974.
On 5 January 1986, Chinhoyi Prefecture was raised to the status of a Diocese with Msgr. Reckter S.J becoming its first bishop. Bishop Reckter died on 10 March 2004 and was buried at Kutama cemetery.
The late Bishop Reckter was succeeded by Bishop Dieter Scholz who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 March 2006 and was ordained as Bishop of Chinhoyi on 2 September 2006. The diocese covers 56 000 square kilometers with a Catholic population of plus or minus 92 000 and comprises of civil districts of Makonde, Kariba, Hurungwe, Guruve, Centenary, Mt. Darwin and Rushinga lying north of Mazowe River.