PYONG-YANG, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. — Situated in the northwestern part of Korea and separated from Manchuria by the Yalu River, it was erected as an apostolic prefecture of Hpeng-yang on 27 March 1927 by dismemberment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Seoul. On 17 March 1929 it took the name of Peng-yan, and on 11 July 1939 it was elevated to a vicariate, under the name of Heijo, changed subsequently on 12 July 1950 to that of Pyong-yang, entrusted to the Maryknoll Society. On 18 February 1943 it passed to the Korean secular clergy.
The first American missionaries sent by Propaganda on 28 February 1922 arrived there in May 1922. At that time, there were scarcely 5,000 faithful in the region of P., assisted only sporadically by priests of the Paris Foreign Missions. In 1935 Catholics numbered more than 15,000. In the remote station of Gishu, the northern gate, called even today almost a sacred monument, still remains
(phot. Fide)
The mission has an area of 43,517 sq. km., with a population of 3,800,000 inhabitants. Before the present war, the spiritual situation was as follows: 22,133 Catholics, with 658 catechumens; 2,900,000 pagans; 146,000 Protestants. The personnel consisted of 23 Maryknoll Fathers and 7 native priests; 2 brothers and 17 Maryknoll sisters and 10 native sisters; 95 catechists; 244 teachers; 10 major seminarians. There were 11 elementary schools; 2 dispensaries; 3 homes for the elderly, an orphanage; 22 primary stations and 156 secondary stations.