Kichow [Qichun], Diocese of

KICHOW [QICHUN], Diocese of. - In the eastern part of the civil province of Hupeh, in central China. Erected as a mission sui iuris, under the name of Hwangchow, on July 18, 1929, by division of the apostolic vicariate of Hankow (v.), on June 1, 1932 it was elevated to an apostolic prefecture and on Jan. 27, 1936 to an apostolic vicariate. On this occasion the mission took the name of K., from the city that had been the seat of the Ordinary from the beginning, and was enlarged by the district of Yingshan, detached from the neighboring mission of Anking. With the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy in China, on Apr. 11, 1946, K. became a suffragan diocese of Hankow. From 1929 it was entrusted, like the mother mission, to the Friars Minor, who send there the religious of the regular province of St. Vigilius (Trent), whose fathers had been on the spot since 1922.

It has an area of 26,400 sq km. As of June 30, 1948, out of a population of about 3,800,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 15,750 and catechumens 516. Besides the bishop there were 25 Franciscan Minor fathers, of whom 1 was Chinese. In the preparatory seminary 17 students were studying, none in the minor seminary and 1 in the regional seminary of Hankow. Among the auxiliary personnel there were 9 sisters, 4 Italian and 5 Chinese; 42 catechists, 49 teachers, 15 baptizers, 6 doctors and 9 nurses. The territory, divided into 5 districts, had 6 churches and 55 oratories, 16 primary stations and 49 secondary ones. The works consisted of 1 hospital with 12 beds and 9 medical clinics; 1 orphanage with 24 girls; 1 home for the aged with 8 residents. The 10 elementary schools had 299 children, the 2 middle schools 423 students, the only vocational school 38 female pupils, the 6 schools of prayer and first elements 130 listeners. Since 1948 about ten Discalced Carmelite fathers of the Venetian province have been working in the northern part of the diocese of K. with the aim of preparing a mission for their own Order.

Christianity was introduced into the region of K. in 1702 by two Jesuit fathers who settled in a small house at Hwangchow. The two Christian communities of Kwangsi and Husepè, begun in 1830 by some Catholic merchants who had immigrated from Kwangsi, were assisted by the missionaries of this province, until, after the apostolic vicariate of Hukwang (Hupeh and Hunan) passed to the Franciscans in 1838, Christian propaganda was able to spread also to the other localities of the region.

Adamo Pucci