SIKKIM, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE. — It is situated in northeastern India. On 3 July 1883 and 20 March 1912, respectively, British Bhutan, constituting the civil district of Kalimpong, and part of independent S., a region still closed to all missionary penetration, were annexed to the apostolic vicariate of Tibet (later the apostolic vicariate of Tatsienlu, now the diocese of Kangting in China).
These territories, together with the other part of S., belonging to the archdiocese of Calcutta, were erected on 15 February 1929 into a mission sui iuris, entrusted to the Society of the Foreign Missions of Paris and declared a suffragan of Calcutta, and were then raised to an apostolic prefecture on 16 June 1931. The first missionary station was founded in 1872 at Pedong by Fr. Cesgotin. His companion in the apostolate, Fr. Moussot, was killed in Tibet on 2 July 1901. In 1934 the missionaries sent by the Abbey of St. Maurice of Agaunum arrived at Pedong, and in 1937, with the appointment of the present apostolic prefect, the apostolic prefecture in fact passed to the Canons Regular of the same abbey, who, in order to make the mission known, have published L'Echo du S. since 1936.
It has an area of 8,400 sq. km. and borders the dioceses of Shillong, Jalpaiguri, and Patna, the archdiocese of Calcutta, and Tibet. The population reaches 200,000 inhabitants, of whom barely 1,700 are Catholics. The remainder consists of Buddhists from Tibet, Hindus who emigrated from Nepal, and aboriginal animists. Christian penetration is extremely difficult. The apostolic prefecture is divided into 6 primary stations and several secondary stations; there are 6 chapels. Instruction is provided in 13 elementary schools with approximately 350 pupils and in 3 secondary schools with 120 students. There are—
