PUCHI [CHIBI], Diocese of. - In the southern part of the province of Hupeh, in central China. It was erected as an apostolic prefecture on 12 Dec. 1923 with four civil sub-prefectures from the apostolic vicariate of Eastern Hupeh, today in part the archdiocese of Hankow (v.), and it was the first ecclesiastical circumscription entrusted to the Chinese secular clergy. On 10 May 1951 it was elevated to a diocese, suffragan of Hankow.

It has an area of about 8,000 sq km. As of 30 June 1947, out of a total population of about 750,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 5,125, catechumens 701; priests 10, seminarians 7. There were moreover 10 nuns and 2 schoolmistresses. The territory, divided into 4 districts, had 2 churches, 8 primary stations and 8 secondary ones. Among the works were 2 medical clinics, 1 orphanage and 1 hospice for the blind. The 3 elementary schools gathered 410 pupils.

The Christian beginnings in the territory of P. probably go back to the middle of the 17th century. More recently there is news of Christians existing at Wusinchow (Sitchung) and at Tungchenghsien. At the time of the erection of the prefecture, in 1923, the faithful numbered 800, the fruit of the Franciscan mission of Eastern Hupeh.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: AAS, 16 (1926), pp. 35-37; GM, p. 206; Arch. di Prop. Fide, Relazione P. 1947; MC, 1950, p. 362.

Adamo Pucci

@incollection{ec10_puchi_diocesi_di, author = {Pucci, Adamo}, title = {Puchi, diocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {X}, pages = {294}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/puchi-diocesi-di} }

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Puchi [Chibi], Diocese of

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