Diocese of CHUMATIEN. – In China, in the central part of the civil province of Honan. It was erected as an apostolic prefecture on 2 March 1933 with 4 sub-prefectures from the mission of Nanyang and 3 from that of Sinyanchow, both of which were also part of the Nanyang mission, and entrusted to the Chinese secular clergy. It was elevated to an apostolic vicariate on 9 November 1944 and to a suffragan diocese of Kaifeng on 11 April 1946.
It has an area of 12,000 sq. km., almost entirely mountainous and cultivated with rice. The total population, as of 30 June 1947, was approximately 1,300,000 inhabitants, mostly engaged in agriculture. At the same date, the Catholics numbered 15,375; the missionary personnel consisted of 17 Chinese secular priests. With the exception of the civil district of Kia-chen, where the Christian community of Hatehwang is located—one of the oldest in Honan, founded by the Jesuits more than three centuries ago—the oldest Christians in this diocese date back to about 80 years ago, converted through the work of the Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Milan.