SOOCHOW, DIOCESE of. - In the southern part of the province of Kiangsu, in central-eastern China.
It was erected on 9 June 1949 from 5 civil sub-prefectures of the diocese of Sciangai and entrusted to the Chinese secular clergy. It is suffragan to Nanchino.
It has an area of approximately 5,600 sq. km. At the time of its erection, out of a total population of 3,100,000 inhabitants, there were 26,981 Catholics and 1,051 catechumens; 18 priests and 9 major seminarians; 17 Presentandine sisters; 112 teachers; 2 secondary schools and several primary schools; 74 churches and chapels.
The Christian origins of S. go back to Fr Matteo Ricci, who visited the city (which he called the Venice of China) in Dec. 1598 and Jan. 1799 and came close to establishing his residence there; his confrères founded two churches there, which the Chinese emperors endowed with two inscriptions: “Honour the heavenly doctrine,” “Honour Heaven.” Subsequently there were martyrs both among the missionaries and among the Christians. Chinese secular priests cared for the faithful after the suppression of the Jesuits, who returned to Kiangsu in 1842 and intensified their apostolate to such an extent as to bring about the establishment in the territory of an indigenous diocese.