HUNGTUNG, DIOCESE OF
In the civil and ecclesiastical province of Shansi, in northern China. It was erected as an apostolic prefecture on 17 June 1932, with territory taken from the mission of Luan, and entrusted to the Chinese secular clergy; on 18 April 1950 it was elevated to a diocese, a suffragan of Taiyuan.
It covers an area of approximately 16,000 sq km. As of 30 June 1946, out of a total population of 1,300,000, there were 12,396 Catholics and 699 catechumens. The missionary personnel consisted of 28 Chinese priests and 2 foreign priests, assisted by 28 catechists, 28 teachers, and 92 baptizers. There were 15 students in the preparatory seminary, 18 in the minor seminary, and 12 Suanhwa (v.), which in recent years has been transferred to H. The canonically divided territory had 8 quasi-parishes; in the remaining area there were 6 primary stations and 3 secondary stations. There were 5 churches and 5 chapels. Among the works were counted 1 dispensary, 1 orphanage with 35 girls. In the three elementary schools, 314 boys were educated, and in the single middle school, 120 students. The listeners at the 8 prayer and elementary schools numbered 292.
The first Christians in the territory of H. date from 1760; in 1881 the first house was purchased to serve as a chapel and residence. But Catholicism did not make visible progress until after the persecution of 1900: the following year there were 2,186 Christians. The mission suffered greatly during the Sino-Japanese War and later during the communist civil war.