Diocese of

Yizhou 沂州

China

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Yizhou 沂州 (中文) / Linyi 臨沂 (中文) / Ichow / Línyí 临沂 (简体中文) / Yízhōu 沂州 (简体中文) / Iceuven(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Jinan 濟南

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Now Governed by Patriotic Diocese: Linyi 臨沂 Uncanonical Diocese

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1937.07.01: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Yizhoufu 沂州府 (中文) / Ichowfu / Yízhōufǔ 沂州府 (简体中文) / de Ichowfu (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Qingdao 青島)
1946.04.11: Promoted as Diocese of Yizhou 沂州 (中文) / Linyi 臨沂 (中文) / Ichow / Línyí 临沂 (简体中文) / Yízhōu 沂州 (简体中文) / Iceuven(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Jinan 濟南)

Present Prelates

Bishop (1997 – ...):

Bishop John Fang Xing-yao (房興耀) (72)

Apostolic Administrator of Yantai 煙臺 (China)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Yizhou 沂州 (Roman Rite)

Bishop John Fang Xing-yao (房興耀) (72)
(1997 – ...)

Bishop of Yizhou 沂州 (China)
Apostolic Administrator of Yantai 煙臺 (China)

Fides spes caritas

Born:	1953.06.05 (China)
Ordained Priest:	1989.12.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.07.27

Bishop of Yizhou 沂州 (China) (1997 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Yantai 煙臺 (China) (2012.02.15 – ... not possessed)

Bishop Charles Weber (萬賓來), S.V.D.
(1946.04.11 – 1970.08.07)

Born:	1886.06.28 (Mittelbexbach, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1910.09.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1938.10.16
Died:	1970.08.07 (Sankt Wendel, Germany † 84)

Titular Bishop of Daldis (1937.12.02 – 1946.04.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Yizhoufu 沂州府 (China) (1937.12.02 – 1946.04.11)

Bishop of Yizhou 沂州 (China) (1946.04.11 – 1970.08.07)

Vicars Apostolic of Yizhoufu 沂州府 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Charles Weber (萬賓來), S.V.D.
(1937.12.02 – 1946.04.11)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Linyi 临沂, Shandong

Xuzhou 徐州 (↙), Yanzhou 兗州 (←), Jinan 濟南 (↖), Weifang 濰坊 (↑), Qingdao 青島 (↗)

Statistics (1950.12.31)

Area: 18,000 km²

Population: 20,545 Catholics (0.6% of 3,600,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 13 parishes

Personnel: 25 priests (3 diocesan, 22 religious), 45 religious (45 sisters), 10 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.01.09

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