YENAN, DIOCESE of. - It comprises the northern part of the province of Shensi (northern China).
Established, under the name of apostolic vicariate of northern Shensi, on 12 Apr. 1911, by division of the vicariate of northern Shensi, which on that same date took the name of apostolic vicariate of central Shensi (v. SIAN), it received its present name of Y. on 3 Dec. 1924, and on 11 Apr. 1946 was raised to a diocese suffragan to Sian. From the outset it has been entrusted to the Friars Minor of the province of Cantabria.
It has an area of approximately 50,000 sq. km. As of 30 June 1947, out of a total population of approximately 3,000,000 inhabitants, there were 9,500 Catholics; 19 Chinese and 17 Spanish priests; 2 foreign lay brothers; 7 major and 4 minor seminarians. The institutions had already been suppressed for several years.
The evangelization of Y. began in the first decade of this century. At the instigation of the apostolic vicar of northern Shensi (v. SIAN), Msgr. Gabriel Maurice, O.F.M., between 1908 and 1911 several Christian communities were founded in the mountains of the northern part of the vicariate; in order to provide them with better pastoral care, the mission of Y. was established, which at the time of its foundation had 2,000 faithful and 15,000 catechumens. From that year onward, progress, though amid difficulties of terrain and people, was considerable, and in 1934 there were 9,515 baptized persons and 6,896 catechumens; but the following year the whole region fell under the rule of the communists, who established their headquarters at Y. and from there have, in recent times, invaded the rest of Chinese territory.