CHILAW, DIOCESE OF. — It was erected on 5 January 1939 from territory detached from the archdiocese of Colombo (Ceylon). It comprises the whole of the North-West Province and covers 7,812 sq km. The population, overwhelmingly of Sinhalese stock, amounts to 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 in C., which, although not the provincial capital, nevertheless represents the diocese’s principal Catholic centre; it has a beautiful and spacious church, a large clergy house, and good communications.
The school organization is fairly flourishing, with 14 elementary schools and 26,328 pupils, 12 secondary schools and 2,616 pupils, and 6 vocational schools and 475 pupils. The priests are assisted by about twenty Brothers of the Christian Schools, 7 Marist Brothers, and 16 Brothers of the Third Order of S. Francesco (mother house at Maggona, Ceylon). There are approximately 200 sisters: 180 belonging to the Congregation of the Holy Family (Bordeaux), and the remainder to the Carmelite Apostolic Sisters of the Third Order (mother house at Mangalore, India).