CHOWTSUN,
DIOCESE of. - It is situated in China, in the north-central part of the civil province of Shantung. Established, under the name of Changtien, as a mission sui iuris on 16 Apr. 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 raised to an apostolic prefecture, on 18 May 1937 to an apostolic vicariate under the new name of C., from the chief city, seat of the Ordinary, and on 11 Apr. 1946 to a diocese, suffragan of Tsinan.
It has an area of approximately 18,000 sq. km., largely flat and mountainous in the south: the soil is exceedingly fertile, although there are some less fertile and some barren areas. The means of communication between the principal centres are fairly good. As of 30 June 1947, out of a total population of approximately 3,000,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 29,200. The missionary personnel consisted of 18 Franciscan fathers, 3 Chinese secular priests, and 28 sisters, of whom 8 were indigenous. Catholicism has been preached there for at least 160 years, but the consolidation of the mission has occurred only in recent decades.