Ecclesiastical province Thare and Nonseng Rite Roman Rite Country Thailand | Denomination Roman Catholic Area 25,477 km² | |
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Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2010)
3,171,478
44,078 (1.4%) Cathedral Cathedral of St Michael the Archangel in Tha Rae Co-cathedral Co-Cathedral of St Anne in Nakhon Phanom Metropolitan archbishop Louis Chamniern Santisukniram | ||
The (Roman Catholic) Archdiocese of Thare and Nonseng (Archidioecesis Tharensis et Nonsengensis, Thai: อัครสังฆมณฑลท่าแร่-หนองแสง; rtgs: Akkhara Sangkha Monthon Tharae-Nongsaeng) is located in the north-east of Thailand. It is based in Tha Rae, a subdistrict municipality (thesaban tambon) in the Mueang Sakon Nakhon district.
Contents
The diocese covers an area of 25,477 km², covering four provinces of Thailand - Kalasin, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom and Sakon Nakhon. As of 2001, of the 3.1 million citizen 49,489 are member of the Catholic Church. It is divided into 30 parishes, having 51 priests altogether. By December 31, 2006, the archdiocese had 51,275 Catholics, 1.61 percent of the territory's population.
3 dioceses are suffragans of the archdiosese:
History
The archdiocese dates back to the Vicariate Apostolic of Laos, which was established on May 4, 1899, responsible for all of northeast Thailand and the modern-day Laos. The seat of the vicariate was at Ban Nonseng, Nakhon Phanom Province. In 1938 the northern part was split off and formed the Prefecture Apostolic of Vientiane and Luang-Prabang. After the independence of Laos in 1949 the vicariate was split - on December 21, 1950 the Laotian part became the Prefecture Apostolic of Thakhek, while the Thai part became the Vicariate Apostolic of Thare. In 1960 it was renamed to Vicariate Apostolic of Thare and Nonseng, and became elevated to a diocese on December 18, 1965.
Cathedral
The St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral is located in Ban Tha Rae, Tha Rae subdistrict, Mueang Sakon Nakhon district, at the northern shore of the Nong Han Lake, 17°15′15″N 104°11′3″E.
Bishops
Before Thare and Nonseng became a diocese, the administrator had the title vicar, but was also a titular bishop.