Diocese of

Hengzhou 衡州

China

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Hengzhou 衡州 (中文) / Hengyang 衡陽 (中文) / Hengchow / Héngyáng 衡阳 (简体中文) / Héngzhōu 衡州 (简体中文) / Hemceuven(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Changsha 長沙

Neighbouring Dioceses: Yongzhou 永州 (↙), Baoqing 寶慶 (←), Xiangtan 湘潭 (↑), Ji’an 吉安 (→), Ganzhou 贛州 (↘), Shaoguan 韶關 (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Now Governed by Patriotic Diocese: Hunan 湖南 Uncanonical Diocese

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1930.07.23: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Hengzhou 衡州 (中文) / Hengchow / Héngzhōu 衡州 (简体中文) / de Hengchow (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Changsha 長沙)
1946.04.11: Promoted as Diocese of Hengzhou 衡州 (中文) / Hengyang 衡陽 (中文) / Hengchow / Héngyáng 衡阳 (简体中文) / Héngzhōu 衡州 (简体中文) / Hemceuven(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Changsha 長沙)

Present Prelates

Bishop:

vacant

Apostolic Administrator (2012 – ...):

Archbishop Methodius Qu Ai-lin (屈藹林) (64)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Changsha 長沙 (China)

Apostolic Administrator of Yuanling 沅陵 (China)

Apostolic Administrator of Changde 常德 (China)

Apostolic Administrator of Yongzhou 永州 (China)

Apostolic Administrator of Yueyang 岳陽 (China)

Apostolic Administrator of Xiangtan 湘潭 (China)

Apostolic Administrator of Baoqing 寶慶 (China)

Apostolic Administrator of Lixian 澧縣 (China)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Hengzhou 衡州 (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Methodius Qu Ai-lin (屈藹林) (64)
(Apostolic Administrator 2012 – ...)

Bishop Guo Ze-qian (郭則謙) ▼
(1958 – ?▼)

Born:	(China)
Consecrated Bishop:	1958.10.26 (no papal mandate)
Died:	1977

Bishop of Hengzhou 衡州 (China) (1958 – ?▼)

Bishop Joseph Wan Ci-zhang (萬次章), O.F.M.
(1952.02.14 – 1961.03.25)

Born:	1908.02.08 (Henyang, China)
Ordained Priest:	1934.05.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1952.05.04
Died:	1961.03.25 (Changsha, China † 53)

Bishop of Hengzhou 衡州 (China) (1952.02.14 – 1961.03.25)

Bishop Raffaele Angelo Palazzi (柏長青), O.F.M.
(1946.04.11 – 1951.02.01)

Born:	1886.08.18 (Genova, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1909.03.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1928.11.11
Died:	1961.10.18 (Merate, Italy † 75)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Changsha 長沙 (China) (1928.06.15 – 1930.07.23)

Titular Bishop of Nara (1928.06.15 – 1946.04.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Hengzhou 衡州 (China) (1930.07.23 – 1946.04.11)

Bishop of Hengzhou 衡州 (China) (1946.04.11 – 1951.02.01)

Titular Bishop of Thignica (1951.02.01 – 1961.10.18)

Vicars Apostolic of Hengzhou 衡州 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Raffaele Angelo Palazzi (柏長青), O.F.M.
(1930.07.23 – 1946.04.11)

(see above)

Yongzhou 永州 (↙), Baoqing 寶慶 (←), Xiangtan 湘潭 (↑), Ji’an 吉安 (→), Ganzhou 贛州 (↘), Shaoguan 韶關 (↓)

Statistics (1950.12.31)

Area: 30,000 km²

Population: 12,085 Catholics (0.4% of 3,000,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 59 missions

Personnel: 23 priests (12 diocesan, 11 religious), 26 religious (3 brothers, 23 sisters), 6 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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