YENAN [YAN'AN], Diocese of. - It comprises the northern part of the province of Shensi (northern China).
Erected, under the name of apostolic vicariate of northern Shensi, on 12 April 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 on 3 December 1924 its present name of Y., and on 11 April 1946 it was elevated to a diocese, suffragan of Sian. From the beginning it has been entrusted to the Friars Minor of the province of Cantabria.
It has an area of about 50,000 sq. km. As of 30 June 1947, out of a total population of about 3,000,000 inhabitants, Catholics numbered 9,500; the priests were 19 Chinese and 17 Spanish; the foreign lay brothers were 2; the major seminarians were 7 and the minor seminarians 4. The works had already been suppressed for several years.
The evangelization of Y. began in the first decade of our century. Through the initiative of the apostolic vicar of northern Shensi (v. SIAN), Msgr. Gabriel Maurice, O.F.M., between 1908 and 1911 several Christian communities were founded among the mountains of the northern part of the vicariate, and for their better care the mission of Y. was erected, which at the time of its foundation had 2,000 faithful and 15,000 catechumens. From that year progress, even amid difficulties of places and of persons, was notable, and in 1934 the baptized numbered 9,515 and the catechumens 6,896, but the following year the whole region fell under the dominion of the communists, who established at Y. their headquarters and from there have invaded, in recent times, the remaining territory of China.
Bibliography4 works
Adamo Pucci