HANYANG, DIOCESE of. - In central China, in the province of Hupeh, erected as an apostolic prefecture on 12 Dec. 1923 by division of the apostolic vicariate of eastern Hupeh, Hankow (v.), and entrusted to the Irish Society of S. Columban for the Chinese missions; on 14 July 1927 it was raised to an apostolic vicariate and, on 11 Apr. 1946, with the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy in China, to a diocese suffragan to Hankow.
It has an area of 10,000 sq. km. As of 30 June 1947, out of a total population of approximately 4,000,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 55,760; the missionary personnel, besides the bishop, comprised 44 priests, including 4 of the Chinese secular clergy, 3 Irish lay brothers, 18 Chinese nuns, and 12 foreign nuns. The 2 medical dispensaries had provided 29,656 consultations in the 1946–47 financial year; the 10 primary schools educated 299 pupils. Earlier statistics showed the territory divided into 4 rural vicariates with 28 principal and 552 secondary stations; 32 churches and 99 chapels; among its works were 1 orphanage with 20 children and 1 women’s workshop with 72 pupils.
The Christian origins of H. are shared with those of Hupeh and especially with those of Hankow, from which the mission was detached.
(photo: Fide)