Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningyuan

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ningyuan (Latin: Dioecesis Nimiuenensis; Chinese: 天主教甯遠教區), also known as Diocese of Xichang or Sichang, is a Latin Catholic diocese located in the city of Xichang (formerly known as Ningyuan or Kienchang) in the ecclesiastical province of Chongqing in western China. It was established on August 12, 1910 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Kienchang for the Mission of Sichuan (Szechwan) in the province's Nosuland.

Diocese of Ningyuan Dioecesis Nimiuenensis 天主教甯遠教區 天主教宁远教区
Cathedral of the Angels, Xichang
Location
Country	China
Ecclesiastical province	Chongqing
Metropolitan	Chongqing
Statistics
Area	120,000 km2 (46,000 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 1950) 2,000,000 11,143 (0.6%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	August 12, 1910 (as apostolic vicariate)
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Angels, Xichang
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	John Lei Jiapei
Metropolitan Archbishop	Sede vacante
Map
Ningyuan (Lin-yuen-fou) was part of the Southern Szechwan Mission. Map by Adrien Launay [fr] MEP, 1889.

Territory

The Diocese of Ningyuan covers the cities of Xichang (Lin-yuen-fou) and Panzhihua, the counties of Dechang, Huidong, Huili (Houy-ly-tcheou), Mianning, Miyi, Yanyuan (Yen-yuen-hien), and some surrounding villages, totaling 120,000 square kilometers.^[1] It is bordered by the Diocese of Kangding to the west and northwest, Diocese of Suifu to the east, Diocese of Jiading to the northeast, Diocese of Dali to the southwest, and Archdiocese of Kunming to the east and south.

History

Further information: Catholic Church in Sichuan

• August 12, 1910: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Kienchang (Kien-tchang) from the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Szechwan
• December 3, 1924: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Ningyuanfu (Vicariatus Apostolicus Nimiuenensis; Lin-yuen-fou)
• April 11, 1946: Promoted as Diocese of Ningyuan (Dioecesis Nimiuenensis)

One of the headquarters of the Spanish Redemptorist missions in Sichuan was based in the Apostolic Vicariate of Ningyuanfu.^[2]

Bishops

Vicars Apostolic of Kienchang

Jean de Guébriant, first Vicar Apostolic of Kienchang

• Jean de Guébriant [fr], M.E.P. (later Archbishop) (August 12, 1910 – April 28, 1916)
• Joseph Bourgain [fr], M.E.P. (March 31, 1918 – December 3, 1924)

Vicars Apostolic of Ningyuanfu

• Joseph Bourgain, M.E.P. (December 3, 1924 – September 30, 1925)
• Stanislas-Gabriel-Henri Baudry [fr], M.E.P. (March 18, 1927 – April 11, 1946)

Bishops of Ningyuan

• Stanislas-Gabriel-Henri Baudry, M.E.P. (April 11, 1946 – August 6, 1954)
• Sede vacante
• Michael Xie Chaogang (May 5, 1991 – January 2, 1999), without papal mandate
• John Lei Jiapei (December 2, 2016 – present)

Gallery

• 
  Episcopal see of Ningyuen, 1913.
• 
  Cathedral of the Angels, c. 1920.

See also

• Anglican Diocese of Szechwan
• Joche Albert Ly – Superior of the Marist Brothers at Xichang
• Juan Campos Rodríguez – Spanish Redemptorist missionary ministering in Xichang