Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Taichung (Agenzia Fides) - "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" is the theme that guides the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Taichung, on the island of Taiwan. According to information gathered by Fides, from 16 April 2011 to August 31, 2012, the diocese celebrates its jubilee with a number of initiatives like special prayer intentions, a spiritual theme of the Scripture for each month, painting and photography competitions, training courses on faith, etc ...
In 1872, the Dominican Superior sent a local friar toward the center of the island of Taiwan, and in 1875 the first community of the diocese was founded. In 1910 the Dominicans bought a plot of land where they built a church, in the same place where today the cathedral dedicated to Jesus the Saviour stands. On 10 August 1950, the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, established the Apostolic Prefecture of Taichung entrusting it to the Maryknoll missionaries. On April 16, 1962 the diocese was erected which celebrates its half century of life.
According to statistics updated to 2009 published by the Taiwan Catholic Church Directory 2010, the Diocese of Taichung today has 26,464 faithful, 2 Bishops, 71 priests, 10 religious non-priests, 114 religious women, 4 major seminarians, 9 catechists . It is structured in 5 deaneries, 35 parishes, 34 mission stations, 26 semi-public churches. The diocese also runs a university with 12,272 members, a language institute with 12 students, 3 high schools with 7,321 students, an elementary school with 1,470 students, 7 kindergartens with 524 children, 4 colleges with 716 guests, 8 Mental Rehabilitation centers with 451 guests, and a publishing house, a monthly magazine, radio and audio-video service. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 05/12/2011)
