WUCHANG, DIOCESE of. - In the south-eastern part of the province of Hupeh, in central China.
It was erected as an apostolic prefecture on 12 Dec. 1923, with 6 civil sub-prefectures of the apostolic vicariate of eastern Hupeh, which on that same date took the name of apostolic vicariate of Hankow; on 31 May 1930 it was raised to an apostolic vicariate; on 7 Dec. 1939 it underwent a rectification of boundaries with the mission of Kichow; on 11 Apr. 1946, with the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy in China, it was raised to a diocese suffragan to Hankow. From the beginning it has been entrusted to the Order of Friars Minor, which sends there, for missionary work, religious from the regular province of Cincinnati.
Area approximately 10,000 sq. km., with approximately 2,500,000 inhabitants, of whom 11,293 are Catholics; 25 priests (11 Chinese); 58 sisters (34 Chinese); 1 hospital, 3 medical dispensaries, 1 orphanage, 16 schools (30 June 1947).
As in the mother mission of Hankow, so in the territory of W. the first traces of evangelical preaching date back to the 17th century, through the work of the Jesuits. But this was sporadic activity, stifled by persecutions. In 1835 Bl. Perboyre found a total of 200 faithful in the three cities of Hankow, Hanyang, and W. Just outside the walls of W., Bl. Clet (18 Feb. 1820) and Bl. Perboyre (11 Sept. 1840) were martyred. Only after the period of the treaties (1844–60), and especially after 1900, did the movement toward the Catholic Church intensify. At the time of its erection as an apostolic prefecture, W. had 2,748 faithful.