Apostolic Vicariate of Vientiane

Apostolic Vicariate of Vientiane Vicariatus Apostolicus Vientianensis ອັກຄະສາວົກແທນຂອງນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງ
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Location
Country	Laos
Metropolitan	Immediately subject to the Holy See
Statistics
Area	98,000 km2 (38,000 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2002) 1.5 million 11,120 (0.8%)
Information
Rite	Latin
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Vientiane
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Apostolic Vicar	Jean Khamsé Vithavong, O.M.I
Map

Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Vientiane (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Vientianensis) is an Apostolic Vicariate (pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction entitled to a titular bishop) of the Latin Roman Catholic Church in Laos.

It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See (not part of any ecclesiastical province and its Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Its cathedral episcopal see and one of the country's largest churches is the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vientiane, which was built in 1928 and renovated in 2004/2005. It is currently vacant, under a temporary apostolic administrator.

The vicariate covers 74,195 km² in the civil Laotian provinces of Houaphan, Xiangkhoang, Vientiane Province, Vientiane Prefecture and most of Bolikhamsai.

As per 2014 it pastorally served 14,947 Catholics (0.7% of 2,216,558 total) in 23 parishes with 5 priests (1 diocesan, 4 religious) and 24 lay religious (4 brothers, 20 sisters).

The vicariate goes back to the Apostolic Prefecture of Vientiane and Luang-Prabang, which was created on June 14, 1938, by splitting off the northern part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Laos.