the apostolic vicariate of abyssinia was entrusted to missionaries of the congregation of the mission, who followed the lead of saint giustino de jacobis, the founder of the mission, by using in the liturgy the local ethiopic variant of the alexandrian rite in the ge'ez language, not the roman rite in latin. they were mainly french and, after eritrea was declared an italian colony in 1890, were expelled by the colonial authorities, who accused them of fomenting armed resistance. the apostolic prefecture of eritrea was created for the italian capuchins, who replaced them. these promoted use of the roman rite, in view also of the arrival of italian immigrants. discontent among the eritrean catholics led to the sending in 1927 of the future cardinal alexis lépicier as an apostolic visitor to examine the situation. as a result, father kidanè-maryam cassà was appointed at first pro-vicar apostolic for the ethiopic-rite catholics and then, on 4 july 1930, bishop in charge of an independent ordinariate of eritrea. the eritrean catholic church is the continuation of this ordinariate and of the first eritrean catholic community.