SÜANHWA, DIOCESE of. - In the southern part of the province of Chagar in northern China.
It was erected as an apostolic vicariate on 10 May 1926, with 9 civil sub-prefectures Pechino (v.), and was entrusted to the Chinese secular clergy; on 11 Apr. 1946, with the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy in China, it was raised to a diocese suffragan to Pechino. On 8 Jan. 1948, the part of the city of Kalgan lying west of the river that runs through it was detached from S. and incorporated into the neighboring mission of Siwantze.
It has an area of 50,000 sq. km. As of 30 June 1947, out of a total population of 1,700,000 inhabitants, there were 36,900 Catholics; 54 priests, of whom 2 were foreigners; 3 major seminarians and 50 minor seminarians; and 43 nuns. Charitable institutions and schools had, by the above-mentioned date, been closed owing to political events.
Administered at first by the Jesuits, at least from 1724, the territory of S. passed to the Lazarists in 1785 and at that date numbered approximately 3,000 Christians. In 1900 the Boxer persecution destroyed five of the seven residences, and more than 2,000 faithful were massacred.