SHIHTSIEN, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE of. - In the eastern part of the province of Kweichow, in south-central China.
It was erected as a mission sui iuris on 23 March 1932, with territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of Kweiyang, and entrusted to the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which sends there religious from the regular province of Lower Germany, headquartered at Hiltrup. On 2 Dec. 1937 it was raised to an apostolic prefecture. It covers an area of 20,000 sq. km. As of 30 June 1948, out of a total population of approximately 3,000,000 inhabitants, there were 6,045 Catholics and 500 catechumens, with 19 foreign religious priests and 3 Chinese secular priests, 4 seminarians in the preparatory course, 7 in the minor seminary, and 5 in the major seminary. The auxiliary personnel included 3 missionary lay brothers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 16 catechists, and 58 teachers. There were 21 principal stations and 7 secondary ones, served by 2 churches and 25 chapels. Its works included 16 dispensaries, 1 orphanage, and 4 elementary schools.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus arrived in the present territory of S. in 1927 and worked, until 1932, under the authority of the apostolic vicar of Kweiyang: they were the first to bring evangelical preaching to the area, hitherto hindered by the lack of communications and by almost permanent civil disturbances; their first superior, Fr. Winkelmann, was murdered by bandits in 1930.
BISL.: AAS, 24 (1932), pp. 387-88; 30 (1938), pp. 250-51; GM, p. 206; MC, 1950, p. 392; Arch. di Prop. Fide, Relazione S. 1948. Adamo Pucci