Roman Catholic Diocese of Caozhou

Located in China diocese Caozhou ( Heze, Latin: Dioecesis Zaoceuvensis ) was established as Apostolic Vicariate of Tsaochowfu on November 12, 1934, and raised on April 11, 1946 under the name Tsaochow to the diocese.

This belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province Jinan diocese is 13,000 km ² half the size of Albania and is located in East China, Shandong Province on the border with Henan. The Heze City is located on the railway line linking Hong Kong with Beijing.

The diocese counted 1950 74.013 Catholics, which represented 1.9 % of the population in this region. With 12 diocesan priests, 37 religious priests and 49 religious sisters, it was a mission area of the Divine Word Missionaries, which is also the Vicars Apostolic and the first Bishop, a native of Bottrop Franz Hoowaarts SVD († March 24, 1954 ), presented. The reigning since 1996 Bishop Joseph Wang Dian Duo died on 27 July 2004 in Jinan.

Currently ( July 2004) there are three priests in the diocese, five seminarians and six sisters. Of the approximately 8 million inhabitants are 20,000 Catholics.

All 30 churches of the diocese were destroyed early 80s, including the well-known throughout China great and mighty cathedral. The rebuilt and inaugurated in 2001, the cathedral is still the only church in the diocese.