Rawalpindi, Diocese of

RAWALPINDI, Diocese of. - It derives from the apostolic prefecture of Kafiristan and Kashmir, erected on July 6, 1887 with territory detached from the diocese of Lahore and entrusted to the missionaries of the Society of St. Joseph of Mill Hill.

It was elevated to a diocese, under the name of R., on July 10, 1947, remaining entrusted to the same society and declared a suffragan of the archdiocese of Delhi and Simla. On July 14, 1950 the boundaries were reduced to that part of the territory which will prove to belong to western Pakistan, once the negotiations, now in progress, concerning the political allegiance of Kashmir are concluded. On July 15, 1950, with the erection of the new ecclesiastical province of Karachi, the diocese of R. was declared a suffragan of it. It has an area of 269,097 sq km. The territory is largely mountainous (the Karakoram range is found there) and is crossed by the Indus River. It borders on the archdiocese of Delhi and Simla and on the dioceses of Lahore, Multan, Bombay, on the State of Afghanistan and on Tibet. The population reaches 12 million inhabitants, almost entirely Muslims. Catholics number 15 thousand with about 2 thousand catechumens, Protestants 11 thousand. Thirty-three foreign priests of the Mill Hill Society work there, who have established 15 primary and 31 secondary stations and built 11 churches and 16 chapels. About thirty catechists and 117 sisters assist the missionaries. There are various elementary, middle and high schools that are highly esteemed. There are 2 orphanages, 2 dispensaries and 2 hospitals. The hospital of R., the chief town of the mission, is directed by the Medical Mission Sisters of Philadelphia and is advancing toward great importance with the founding of a center for maternity and childhood and a school for obstetricians and nurses. The diocese also possesses a printing press.

Pompeo Borgna