Ningyuan [Xichang], Diocese of

NINGYUAN [XICHANG], Diocese of. - Erected as an apostolic vicariate, under the name of Kientchang, on 12 Aug. 1910, with territory detached from that of southern Szechwan (v. SUIFU), on 3 Dec. 1924 it received its present name and on 11 Apr. 1946 it was elevated to a suffragan diocese of Chungking. It is entrusted, like the mother mission, to the society for the Foreign Missions of Paris.

It has an area of about 120,000 sq km. As of 30 June 1948, out of about 2,000,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 10,968 and catechumens 1,950. Besides the bishop, the priests were 19 Chinese, 12 French and 2 Spanish. The auxiliary staff counted 34 sisters, of whom 23 were Chinese, 25 catechists, 37 teachers, 36 baptizers, 4 doctors and 6 nurses. The territory, divided into 19 districts, had 19 primary and 190 secondary stations, 7 churches and 14 chapels. Among the works were 2 hospitals, 4 medical clinics, 11 orphanages, 1 home for the aged; 1 leprosarium; 12 elementary schools, 2 normal schools, 28 of prayer and first elements.

The first three missionaries, sent into the region of Kientchang by the apostolic vicar of southern Szechwan after 1860, had little success. Until the work was taken up again, toward the end of the century, by other fathers from Paris led by the pro-vicar G. B. de Guébrant, later appointed first apostolic vicar of N. and then transferred to Canton.