Kian [Ji'an], Diocese of

KIAN [JI'AN], Diocese of. - In China, in the central-western part of the civil province of Kiangsi, which, detached from the civil province of Chekiang, with which it had formed a single mission since 1838, and erected as an apostolic vicariate of Kiangsi on 27 March 1846, on 19 Aug. 1879 was divided into the apostolic vicariate of Northern Kiangsi (v. NANCHANG) and the apostolic vicariate of Southern Kiangsi. The latter, which had its see at K., on 25 Aug. 1920 ceded the southern part for the erection of the apostolic vicariate of Kanchow (v.), received in exchange, to the north, from the apostolic vicariate of Northern Kiangsi, certain civil prefectures, and took the name of Kingan or K., from the city where the Ordinary resided. From the beginning it was entrusted to the Congregation of the Mission, which from 1922 has sent there the Italian Lazarists of the province of Turin, for apostolic work. On 11 Apr. 1946, with the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy in China, K. was elevated to a diocese, suffragan of Nanchang.

It has an area of about 37,000 sq. km. As of 30 June 1947, out of a population of over 3,000,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 24,000 and catechumens 500. Besides the bishop, there were 15 Lazarists, of whom 3 were Chinese, and 11 Chinese secular priests. In the local minor seminary 12 students were studying. There were then 6 lay brothers, of whom only 1 was Italian, 21 Chinese sisters, some doctors, several nurses, an unspecified number of catechist teachers and baptizers. Among the works were 4 hospitals and 2 medical clinics, 2 orphanages with 300 inmates. The 10 primary elementary schools and the 5 higher schools had more than 1000 children, the 14 schools of prayer and first elements 260.

In 1594 the Catholic religion was introduced at Tsing Kiang and Ichun, important cities of the diocese of K. Father Matteo Ricci, in 1596, visited those Christians. Toward the middle of the 17th century the region was visited by the Franciscans, the Dominicans and the Jesuits; the Jesuit Father Giacomo Le Favre built a church at Kanchow (v.) and another in the present diocese of K. In 1603 Father Adriano Greslon was at K., and in that same year the Franciscans possessed a church there and another at Nananfu. Continuous persecutions hindered Christianity in the 17th and 18th centuries; the Lazarists, who remained alone in the field after 1838, were likewise hindered. In the period 1794-95 also the Lazarist Bl. Francesco Regis Clet, who died a martyr in 1820 in Hupeh, attended to the Christian communities of Tsing Kiang and Changshu. In the last 20 years K. has suffered immensely because of the revolutions, the civil wars and the war with Japan: many died among the Christians and some also among the missionaries; the bishop himself was held in captivity for several months.

Adamo Pucci