Prefecture Apostolic of Vientiane and Luang-Prabang

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	Sede Vacante
Apostolic Administrator	Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun
Map

The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Vientiane (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Vientianensis) is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church located in northern Laos.

As an apostolic vicariate, it is a pre-diocesan jurisdiction, entitled to a titular bishop, and exempt, i.e., not part of any ecclesiastical province and directly dependent on the Holy See and its missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

The Apostolic Vicariate's cathedral episcopal see is Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vientiane, one of the country's largest churches. The vicariate is currently vacant, with Bishop Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, Apostolic Vicar of Pakse (Laos), serving as 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.