Archdiocese of Thare and Nonseng Archidioecesis Tharensis et Nonsengensis อัครสังฆมณฑลท่าแร่-หนองแสง |
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Location | |
Country | Thailand |
Ecclesiastical province | Thare and Nonseng |
Statistics | |
Area | 25,477 km2 (9,837 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 3,171,478 44,078 (1.4%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Cathedral | Cathedral of St Michael the Archangel in Tha Rae |
Co-cathedral | Co-Cathedral of St Anne in Nakhon Phanom |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Louis Chamniern Santisukniram |
Map | |
Location of the Archdiocese of Thare and Nonseng |
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Website | |
Website of the Archdiocese |
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.
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:
The archdiocese traces its origin back to the Vicariate Apostolic of Laos, which was established on May 4, 1899, responsible for all of what is now northeast Thailand and modern-day Laos. The seat of the vicariate was at Ban Nonseng, Nakhon Phanom Province. In 1938 the northern part was split off to create the Prefecture Apostolic of Vientiane and Luang-Prabang. After the independence of Laos in 1949 the vicariate was divided: on December 21, 1950, the Laotian part was split off to create the Prefecture Apostolic of Thakhek, while the Thai part became the Vicariate Apostolic of Thare. In 1960 it was renamed the Vicariate Apostolic of Thare and Nonseng, and was promoted as the Archdiocese of Thare and Nonseng on December 18, 1965.