ICHOW, DIOCESE OF. — Erected as an apostolic vicariate on 10 July 1937 by division of the apostolic vicariate of Tsingtao, in the civil province of Shantung, in northern China, it remained entrusted to the Fathers of the Society of the Divine Word, who had been working there since 1925 in a manner effectively autonomous from those of the mother mission; on 11 April 1946, with the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy in China, it was elevated to a diocese, a suffragan of Tsinan.
It has an area of approximately 18,000 sq. km. As of 30 June 1947, with a population of approximately 4 million, there were 20,277 Catholics and 174 catechumens. In addition to the bishop, there were 25 German missionary priests and 2 Chinese secular priests; 3 German lay brothers; 42 sisters, of whom 38 were Chinese. At the inter-missionary seminary of Yenchow, 3 philosophy students and 3 theology students were studying for Ichow. Previous statistics reported a large number of catechists, teachers, baptizers, and nurses; 10 churches and 185 chapels, 2 hospitals, 6 medical dispensaries, 1 old people’s home, orphanages; 7 elementary schools, 2 for catechists, and 33 for beginners and prayer. However, the mission suffered greatly, both in personnel and in works, during the last war and especially during the civil war.
The beginnings of evangelical preaching date back to 1882, through the work of Msgr. de Anzer, then apostolic vicar of southern Shantung (see YENCHOW), a mission that also included the territory now comprising Ichow, and of Fr. Giuseppe Freinademetz, who died in a reputation for holiness in 1908. After the difficulties of the First World War, evangelization resumed and flourished, leading to the erection of Tsingtao (see Tsingtao) in June 1928 and that of Ichow in 1937.