VIENTIANE, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. – Located in the centre of the French protectorate of Laos (Indochina), it covers an area of 100,000 sq km. It is entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
On 4 May 1899 the apostolic vicariate of Laos was erected, detached from that of Eastern Siam (now Bangkok). On 17 June 1938 the apostolic prefecture of V. and Luang-Prabang was erected, by dismemberment of the same apostolic vicariate of Laos. On 13 March 1952 this prefecture was raised to the status of an apostolic vicariate of V., which is the official capital of the Kingdom of Laos, which, although under French mandate, enjoys a certain degree of independence. The seat of government is Luang-Prabang.
Around 1630, Fr Giovanni Maria Liera, a Jesuit, was the first missionary to visit Laos. He came from Tonkin to V. Annam. On several occasions, some Fathers of the Paris Foreign Missions Society attempted to penetrate into Laos from Tonkin, Annam, Cambodia or Siam. All these attempts were in vain, and most of the missionaries died of jungle fever while crossing the mountains and vast forests that separate Laos from these various countries. In 1881, Msgr. Vey, apostolic vicar of Siam, made a new attempt by sending Frs Giovanni Battista Prudhomme and Francesco Saverio Guego. After a three-month journey, they arrived at Ubon, a Siamese city in the southern part of Laos. In 1884 Fr Prudhomme founded the Christian communities of Makhon and Sakhon, while in 1889 Fr Rondel founded the Christian community of Kangsadok and in 1893 that of Paksane. In 1929 Fr Thibaud, in charge of the Christian community of V., made an exploratory trip to Luang-Prabang, Paklai and Huei-sai, where he found a certain number of Annamite Christians. In the same year, a Canadian Protestant minister settled in Luang-Prabang. Meanwhile, communications became easier with the activation of a motorboat service, and missionary visits became more frequent. From 1931 onwards, Fr Excoffon, in charge of the V. region, organised the Christian community of Luang-Prabang and built a chapel there. On 14 January 1935 the first Oblates of Mary Immaculate missionaries arrived in Laos, led by Fr Enrico Mazoyer. Out of a population of 123,000 inhabitants, there are 4,214 Catholics with 413 catechumens. There are 20 priests, of whom 17 are Oblates of Mary Immaculate and 3 are Annamites; 2 lay brothers; a minor seminary with 20 seminarians; 10 nuns, both foreign and indigenous; 12 catechists; 9 teachers; 13 sacred buildings; 8 pharmacies; an orphanage; 2 elementary schools; 12 prayer schools; a printing press.