The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Vientiane ( la, Vicariatus Apostolicus Vientianensis; ) is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church located in northern

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

. As an apostolic vicariate, it is a pre-diocesan jurisdiction, entitled to a titular bishop, and it is exempt, i.e., not part of any ecclesiastical province and instead directly dependent on the Holy See through the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The Apostolic Vicariate's episcopal cathedral see is

Sacred Heart Cathedral Sacred Heart Cathedral may refer to: Africa *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Moundou, Chad *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bamako, Mali *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Freetown, Sierra Leone *Sacred Heart Cathedra ...

in Vientiane, one of the country's largest churches. Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun is its apostolic vicar.

Statistics

The vicariate covers 74,195 km² in the civil Laotian provinces of

Houaphan Houaphanh province ( Laotian: ຫົວພັນ ; Romanization of Lao: ''Houaphan'') is a province in eastern Laos. Its capital is Xam Neua. Houaphanh province covers an area of . The province is bordered by Vietnam to the north, east, and so ...

, Xiangkhoang, Vientiane Province,

Vientiane Prefecture Vientiane (or ''Viengchan'', Also known as ''Vientiane Prefecture'' or ''Vientiane Municipality'') ( Lao: ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ, ''Nakhônlouang ViangChan'') is a prefecture of Laos, in the northwest Laos. The national ...

and most of Bolikhamsai. As per 2014 it pastorally served 14,947 Catholics (0.7% of 2,216,558 total) in 23 parishes with 5 priests (1 diocesan, 4 religious) and 24 lay religious (4 brothers, 20 sisters).

History

The vicariate dates back to the Apostolic Prefecture of Vientiane and Luang-Prabang, which was created on June 14, 1938, by splitting off the northern part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Laos. On March 13, 1952, it was elevated to an Apostolic vicariate and renamed Vientiane after its largest city, the Laotian national capital. The northern part around Luang Prabang was split off on March 3, 1963, to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Luang Prabang, which since then has often been held in personal union with Vientiane or by an Apostolic administrator.

Ordinaries

Apostolic Prefect of Vientiane and Luang-Prabang

* Giovanni Enrico Mazoyer,

O.M.I. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, ...

(1938-1952)

Apostolic Vicars of Vientiane

* Etienne-Auguste-Germain Loosdregt, O.M.I. (1952-1975) * Thomas Nantha (1975-1984) * Jean Khamsé Vithavong, O.M.I. (1984-2017) * Cardinal Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, I.V.D. (2017–present)

Coadjutor Bishop

* Jean Khamsé Vithavong, O.M.I. (1982-1984)

Auxiliary Bishop

* Lionello Berti, O.M.I. (1962-1963), appointed Apostolic Vicar of Luang Prabang File:Laos1 556.jpg, "Sacred Heart Church" in Vientiane. File:Laos1 558.jpg, "Sacred Heart Church" in Vientiane. File:Laos1 561.jpg, "Sacred Heart Church" in Vientiane.

Sources and external links

GCatholic, with Google satellite photo

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vientiane, Apostolic Vicariate Apostolic vicariates Roman Catholic dioceses in Laos Religious organizations established in 1938 Vientiane Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century 1938 establishments in Laos