CHANGNACHERRY, Diocese of. – An episcopal see for the Indian Catholics of the Syro-Malabar rite, established on 21 Dec. 1923, in place of an apostolic vicariate that had existed since July 1896. It is a suffragan see of the diocese of Ernakulam (India) and comprises 415,925 faithful, 200 parishes and 370 secular priests, as well as women’s enclosed monasteries and charitable institutes.
CHANGSHA, Archdiocese of. – A mission entrusted to Italian Franciscans in China, in the province of Hunan. Its area is 22,820 sq km; the population slightly exceeds five million. Evangelical preaching in the territory dates from the second half of the 17th century. In 1856 the province of Hunan, detached from Hupeh, was erected into a separate mission and entrusted to the Franciscans; in 1879, when this mission was divided into two—southern and northern Hunan—Changsha became the residence of the southern mission. After the uprising of 1900, works resumed and the Christian community was reconstituted, though it suffered severe setbacks during the war with Japan. Yet the work never ceased, and the mission gave rise to further foundations: Yungchow-fu in 1925, Hengchow in 1930, Siangtan in 1938, all entrusted to the Franciscans.
Since 11 Apr. 1946, C. has been raised to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese of the ecclesiastical province of Hunan, now comprising three suffragan dioceses: Changteh, Hengchow and Yuanling. On 30 June 1948 the missionary personnel of C. consisted of 16 Italian fathers, 2 Germans, 1 Yugoslav and 5 Chinese secular priests. The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary numbered 13, of whom 5 were Chinese; the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate numbered 9, all Chinese. There were 54 catechists, 78 teachers, 12 physicians in the service of the mission and 15 nurses. Schools: 10 elementary with 759 pupils, 2 secondary with 157 students. Charitable works: 2 hospitals, 10 dispensaries, 2 orphanages, 2 homes for the elderly. At the same date the Catholics numbered 9,081 and the
CHANGSHA, Diocese of. – An episcopal see for the Indian Catholics of the Syro-Malabar rite, established on 21 Dec. 1923, in place of an apostolic vicariate that had existed since July 1896. It is a suffragan see of the diocese of Ernakulam (India) and comprises 415,925 faithful, 200 parishes and 370 secular priests, as well as women’s enclosed monasteries and charitable institutes.