PURWOKERTO, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. - Situated in the central part of the island of Java (Indonesia), it comprises the civil districts of Tegal, Pekalongan, Wonosobo, Bagelen, northern and southern Banjumas. In Dec. 1926 the missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus arrived there. Between 1927 and 1939 they founded several mission stations, while the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the Ursulines opened schools there.
Before that time, for approximately a century, the Jesuits of Batavia had periodically visited those localities, limiting themselves to the administration of the Sacraments to Catholics scattered somewhat everywhere. On 25 Apr. 1932 the mission was erected into a prefecture, its territory being detached from the apostolic vicariate of Batavia (now Djakarta), and on 15 Oct. 1941 it was raised to a vicariate. It has an area of 14,466 sq. km. and a population of 6,500,000 inhabitants. Catholics number 4,389, with 589 catechumens; Protestants, 5,000; Muslims, 4,000,000; pagans, 2,480,000. There are 13 priests, of whom 3 are Indonesians; 20 brothers; 60 nuns, of whom 6 are Indonesians; 2 major seminarians and 8 minor seminarians; 24 catechists; 31 teachers; one hospital; 2 dispensaries; 7 orphanages; 17 elementary schools; 10 secondary schools; one higher school; 4 vocational schools; 2 teacher-training schools; 15 sacred buildings; 10 primary and 9 secondary stations. The associations of Catholic Action are well organized.