CHILAW, Diocese of. — It was erected on 5 January 1939 with territory detached from the Archdiocese of Colombo (Ceylon). It comprises the entire North-West Province and covers 7,812 sq km. The population, overwhelmingly of Sinhalese stock, numbers 667,361 inhabitants (1946 census), divided as follows: 352,068 Buddhists, 26,696 Hindus, 33,025 Muslims, 102,000 Catholics and 1,066 Protestants (1948 statistics).
The diocese is entrusted to the indigenous clergy, with a total of 42 priests, all Ceylonese. The bishop’s residence is at C., which, though not the provincial capital, is nonetheless the chief Catholic centre of the diocese; it has a fine and spacious church, a large clergy house and good communications.
The school system is fairly well developed, with 14 elementary schools and 26,328 pupils, 12 middle schools and 2,616 pupils, and 6 vocational schools with 475 pupils. The priests are assisted by some twenty Brothers of the Christian Schools, 7 Marist Brothers and 16 Brothers of the Third Order of St Francis (mother house at Maggona, Ceylon). There are about 200 sisters: 180 belonging to the Congregation of the Holy Family (Bordeaux) and the rest to the Carmelites of the Third Order (mother house at Mangalore, India).