Pingliang, Diocese of

PINGLIANG, Diocese of. - In the north-eastern part of the province of Kansu (northern China).

Erected as an apostolic prefecture with 17 civil sub-prefectures detached from the apostolic vicariate of Tsinchow (v.) on 25 January 1930, it was entrusted to the Order of the Spanish Capuchin Friars Minor of the regular province of Aragon. On 24 June 1950 it was elevated to a diocese, suffragan of Lanchow.

It has an area of about 54,000 sq km. As of 30 June 1949, out of a total population of 1,700,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 5,063 and catechumens 308. Besides the Ordinary, there were 13 Chinese secular priests and 11 Spanish Capuchin fathers; 11 major and 17 minor seminarians. The auxiliary staff counted: 4 Spanish Capuchin brothers, 7 Chinese sisters, 17 catechists, 13 teachers, 15 baptizers, 8 nurses. The mission stations numbered 26 and depended on 13 churches and 25 chapels. The works consisted of 6 medical clinics, 3 orphanages, 2 homes for the elderly, 3 elementary schools and 6 prayer schools.

The first Catholics of the territory of P. were colonists who had immigrated from the provinces of Szechwan and Shensi, bordering on Kansu: there were 98 of them near the city of Kingyang in 1880, and others followed in 1891 in the civil subprefectures of Lingtae and Huating; by 1898 their number had risen to 700. From 1908 the evangelization of the natives of P. began.

Adamo Pucci