KWEILIN, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. — In the northeastern part of the civil province of Kwangsi (southern China). It was erected on 2 February 1938 by division of the apostolic prefecture of Wuchow and entrusted to the Society for Foreign Missions of the United States of America (Maryknoll). As an apostolic prefecture, it depends directly on the Holy See.
It has an area of 32,380 sq. km. On 30 June 1949, out of a total population of approximately 2,500,000, there were 7,575 Catholics and 2,000 catechumens. There were 27 priests, of whom 1 belonged to the Chinese secular clergy; 6 American and 9 Chinese sisters; and 55 catechists. Five seminarians for the K. mission were studying at the regional seminary in Hong Kong. The territory, with 2 churches and 15 chapels, was divided into 9 quasi-parishes and 71 secondary stations. There were 16 pharmaceutical dispensaries; 2 elementary schools with 175 children, 2 normal schools with 18 pupils, and 3 schools of prayer and elementary instruction with 125 attendees.
Evangelization of the territory began at the start of the present century through the work of the Fathers of the Paris Foreign Missions, who had been entrusted with the entire province of Kwangsi. At the time of its erection, K. had approximately 1,000 Christians, 66 of whom had been converted in the preceding years by the Maryknoll missionaries.