LICHOW, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. — In the civil province of Hunan, in central China. Erected on 6 May 1931 by division Changteh (v.), it was entrusted, like the mother mission, to the Order of Hermits of St Augustine, which sends there, for apostolic work, the fathers of the
province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in the Philippines.
It depends directly on the Holy See.
It has an area of 15,200 sq. km. As of 30 June 1950, among a population of approximately 2,000,000 inhabitants, there were 6,203 Catholics, served by 9 religious priests and 2 secular priests, with 8 parishes and 34 churches. The auxiliary personnel consists of 6 sisters and 9 catechists.
BIBL.: AAS, 24 (1932), p. 46; GM, pp. 201-202; MC, 1950, pp. 368-69; Archive of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, L. Report, 1950. Adamo Pucci