MOUKDEN [SHENYANG], ARCHDIOCESE OF. - Located in the southwestern part of Manchuria, it consists of nine civil prefectures, namely: Si-an, Tungfen, Sifeng, Kayuan, Tichling, M., Simmin, Liaochung, Laioyang. The prefecture of M. is the most important, the most populous, if not the most extensive. Before the present state, this mission passed through many changes. On 14 Aug. 1898 the apostolic vicariate of Leatong was created, by dismemberment of the diocese of Beijing, with jurisdiction "over all the regions of Tartary, that is Mongolia and Manchuria, already subject to the bishop of Beijing," and it was entrusted to the Seminary of the Foreign Missions of Paris. In 1840 the apostolic vicariate of Mongolia (today the diocese of Siwantze) was detached. From the three remaining provinces, M., Kirin and Heilungkiang, on 10 May 1898, the provinces of Kirin and Heilungkiang were dismembered for the creation of the apostolic vicariate of northern Manchuria (today, partially, the diocese of Kirin), while the remaining territory took the name of southern Manchuria, which on 3 Dec. 1924 was changed to that of M. On 11 Apr. 1946 the same vicariate was elevated to a metropolitan archdiocese with four suffragans, namely: Kirin, Fushun, Szepingkai and Yenki. On 14 July 1949 the archdiocese, again dismembered for the erection of the diocese of Ying-Kow, was transferred from the Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris to the Chinese secular clergy. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, Manchuria was visited more than once by some Chinese priest, sent there by the Jesuits of Beijing. But the first missionaries to exercise a continued and organized ministry were the fathers of the aforementioned Society. During the persecution of the "boxers," in 1900, the apostolic vicar Msgr. Guillon, six missionaries, three native priests and two sisters, as well as a large host of the faithful, suffered death.
The archdiocese of M. has an area of ca. 28,058 sq km. The population is almost entirely Chinese and the language spoken is more or less that of Beijing (northern Mandarin). Out of ca. 3,905,526 inhabitants, Catholics number 20,000 with 573 catechumens. There are 29 native priests; 10 major seminarians; 138 native sisters and 16 foreign ones; 7 hospitals; 6 orphanages; 3 homes for the aged; 2 secondary schools; one printing press.
The city of M., capital of Manchuria, is the archiepiscopal see.