The Diocese of Wau (Latin: Vaven(sis)) is a Latin Church is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in South Sudan. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Juba, and depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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The cathedra is in the Cathedral of St. Mary in Wau, Gharb Baḩr al Ghazāl province. Matthew Remijio Adam Gbitiku has been Bishop of Wau since 18 November 2020.

• 30 May 1913: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Bahr el-Ghazal, on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa
• 13 June 1917: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Bahr el-Ghazal
• Lost territory repeatedly : on 1923.06.12 to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Equatorial Nile, on 1949.03.03 to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Mupoi and on 1955.07.03 to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Rumbek
• 26 May 1961: Renamed after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Wau
• 12 December 1974: Promoted as Diocese of Wau

As of 2014^[update], it pastorally served 2,913,120 Catholics (70.0% of 4,161,600 total) on 134,572 km² in 19 parishes with 43 priests (25 diocesan, 18 religious), 1 deacon, 56 lay religious (28 brothers, 28 sisters) and 23 seminarians.

Apostolic Prefect of Bahr el-Ghazal

• Antonio Stoppani, Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (M.C.C.I.) (born Italy) (1913.05.30 – 1917.06.13 see below)

Apostolic Vicars of Bahr el-Ghazal

• Antonio Stoppani, M.C.C.I. (see above 1917.06.13 – retired 1933), Titular Bishop of Stratonicea in Caria (1917.06.13 – death 1940.08.06)
• Rodolfo Orler, M.C.C.I. (born Canada) (1933.12.11 – death 1946.07.19), Titular Bishop of Prusias ad Hypium (1933.12.11 – 1946.07.19)
• Edoardo Mason, M.C.C.I. (born Italy) (1947.05.08 – 1960.05.10), Titular Bishop of Rusicade (1947.05.08 – death 1989.03.15); next Apostolic Vicar of El Obeid (Sudan) (1960.05.10 – 1969)
• Ireneus Wien Dud (first African incumbent, born Sudan) (1960.05.10 – 1961.05.26 see below), Titular Bishop of Barcusus (1955.07.03 – 1974.12.12); previously Apostolic Vicar of Rumbek (South Sudan) (1955.07.03 – 1960.05.10)

Apostolic Vicar of Wau

• Ireneus Wien Dud (see above 1961.05.26 – 1974.12.12), also President of Sudan Bishops’ Conference (1970 – 1973), Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Vicariate of Rumbek (South Sudan) (1972 – 1974); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba (South Sudan) (1974.12.12 – 1982)

Suffragan Bishops of Wau

• Gabriel Zubeir Wako (1974.12.12 – 1979.10.30), also Apostolic Administrator of Apostolic Vicariate of Rumbek (South Sudan) (1974 – 1976), President of Sudan Bishops’ Conference (1978 – 1989); later Coadjutor Archbishop of Khartoum (Sudan) (1979.10.30 – 1981.10.10), succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of Khartoum (1981.10.10 – retired 2016.12.10), President of Sudan Bishops’ Conference (1993 – 1999 & 2012.01.01 – 2016.10), created Cardinal-Priest of S. Atanasio a Via Tiburtina (2003.10.21 [2003.12.14] – ...)
• Joseph Bilal Nyekindi (1980.10.24 – retired 1995.11.02), died 1996
• Rudolf Deng Majak (1995.11.02 – death 2017.03.08), also President of Sudan Bishops’ Conference (2006? – 2011.12.31); previously Apostolic Administrator of Wau (1992.04.12 – succession 1995.11.02).
• Matthew Remijio Adam Gbitiku, M.C.C.I. (2020.11.18-present)

• List of Catholic dioceses in Sudan and South Sudan

• GCatholic.org - data for all sections
• Diocese of Wau website