Chowtsun [Zhoucun], Diocese of

CHOWTSUN [ZHOUCUN], DIOCESE of. - It is located in China in the north-central part of the civil province of Shantung. Erected, under the name of Changtien, as a sui iuris mission on 16 April 1929, by division of the apostolic vicariate of Tsinanfu and entrusted to the Friars Minor of the province of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the United States of America, on 1 June 1932 it was elevated to an apostolic prefecture, on 18 May 1937 to an apostolic vicariate with the new name of C., from the chief town, the seat of the Ordinary, and on 11 April 1946 to a diocese, suffragan of Tsinan.

It has an area of about 18,000 sq. km., for the most part flat, mountainous in the south: the soil is very fertile, although there is no lack of less fertile and some barren zones. The means of communication between the principal centers are fairly good. As of 30 June 1947, out of a total population of about 3,000,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 29,200. The missionary personnel consisted of 18 Franciscan fathers, 3 Chinese secular priests, 28 sisters of whom 8 were native. Catholicism has been preached there for at least 160 years, but the consolidation of the mission has come about only in recent decades.

Adamo Pucci