Diocese of

Xuzhou 徐州

China

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Xuzhou 徐州 (中文) / Süchow / Xúzhōu 徐州 (简体中文) / Siüceuven(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Nanjing 南京

Neighbouring Dioceses: Shangqiu 商丘 (←), Caozhou 曹州 (↖), Yanzhou 兗州 (↑), Yizhou 沂州 (↗), Haizhou 海州 (→), Yangzhou 揚州 (↘), Bengbu 蚌埠 (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Now Governed by Patriotic Diocese: Xuzhou 徐州 Uncanonical Diocese

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1931.07.01: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Xuzhou 徐州 (中文) / Suchow / Xúzhōu 徐州 (简体中文) / de Suchow (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing 南京)
1935.06.18: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Xuzhou 徐州 (中文) / Suchow / Xúzhōu 徐州 (简体中文) / de Suchow (Latin)
1946.04.11: Promoted as Diocese of Xuzhou 徐州 (中文) / Süchow / Xúzhōu 徐州 (简体中文) / Siüceuven(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Nanjing 南京)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2011 – ...):

Bishop John Wang Ren-lei (王仁雷) (55)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Xuzhou 徐州 (Roman Rite)

Bishop John Wang Ren-lei (王仁雷) (55)
(2011 – ...)

Bishop of Xuzhou 徐州 (China)

Born:	1970.06.05 (Weishan, 雲南, China)
Ordained Priest:	1996.08.10
Consecrated Bishop:	2006.11.30 (no papal mandate)

Coadjutor Bishop of Xuzhou 徐州 (China) (2006 – 2011▼)

Bishop of Xuzhou 徐州 (China) (2011 – ...)

Bishop Thomas Qian Yu-rong (錢余榮)
(1959 – 2011▼)

Born:	1911.11.21 (Tongshan, China)
Ordained Priest:	1945
Consecrated Bishop:	1959.11.15 (no papal mandate)
Died:	2013.03.22 (Xuzhou, China † 101)

Bishop of Xuzhou 徐州 (China) (1959 – 2011▼)

Bishop Philip Côté (郃軼歐), S.J.
(1946.04.11 – 1970.01.16)

Ut omnes unum sint

Born:	1895.12.28 (Lawrence, MA, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1927.08.15
Consecrated Bishop:	1935.09.29
Died:	1970.01.16 (Quemoy, Taiwan † 74)

Titular Bishop of Polystylus (1935.06.18 – 1946.04.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Xuzhou 徐州 (China) (1935.06.18 – 1946.04.11)

Bishop of Xuzhou 徐州 (China) (1946.04.11 – 1970.01.16)

Vicars Apostolic of Xuzhou 徐州 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Philip Côté (郃軼歐), S.J.
(1935.06.18 – 1946.04.11)

(see above)

Prefects Apostolic of Xuzhou 徐州 (Roman Rite)

Fr. George Marin, S.J.
(1931.12.03 – 1935.06.18)

Born:	1895.03.02 (USA)
Ordained Priest:	1926.08.15
Died:	1956.12.24 († 61)

Prefect Apostolic of Xuzhou 徐州 (China) (1931.12.03 – 1935.06.18)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop John Wang Ren-lei (王仁雷) (55) (2006 – 2011)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Xuzhou 徐州, Jiangsu

Shangqiu 商丘 (←), Caozhou 曹州 (↖), Yanzhou 兗州 (↑), Yizhou 沂州 (↗), Haizhou 海州 (→), Yangzhou 揚州 (↘), Bengbu 蚌埠 (↓)

Statistics (1950.12.31)

Area: 20,000 km²

Population: 93,566 Catholics (2.1% of 4,500,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 33 parishes, 151 missions

Personnel: 49 priests (14 diocesan, 35 religious), 66 religious (21 brothers, 45 sisters), 5 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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