The (Roman Catholic) Diocese of Chiang Mai (Dioecesis Chiangmaiensis, Thai: สังฆมณฑลเชียงใหม่) in northern Thailand. It is a suffragan diocese of the archdiocese of Bangkok. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. ... Chiang Mai is both a city and a Thailand. ... The Kingdom of Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia, bordering Laos and Cambodia to the east, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia to the south, and the Andaman Sea and Myanmar to the west. ... Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok The (Roman Catholic) Archdiocese of Bangkok, Thailand (Archidioecesis Bangkokensis, อัครสังฆมณฑลกรุงเทพฯ) dates back to 1662, when the Vicariate Apostolic of Siam of created. ...

The diocese covers an area of 89,483 km², covering all of the northern provinces of Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao, Phrae). As of 2001, of the 5.8 million citizen 36,518 are member of the Catholic Church. Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Thailand is divided into 76 provinces (Thai: จังหวัด, changwat, singular and plural), which are grouped into 5 groups of provinces - sometimes the East and Central are grouped together. ... Chiang Mai (Thai เชียงใหม่) is the second-biggest province (changwat) of Thailand, located in the north of the country. ... Chiang Rai (Thai เชียงราย) is the most northern province (changwat) of Thailand. ... Lampang (Thai ลำปาง) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... Lamphun (Thai ลำพูน) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... Mae Hong Son (Thai แม่ฮ่องสอน) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... Nan (Thai น่าน) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... Phayao (Thai พะเยา) is one of the northern province (changwat) of Thailand. ... Phrae (Thai แพร่) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ...

History

The diocese dates back to the Prefecture Apostolic of Chieng-Mai, which was erected on November 17, 1959. On December 18, 1965 it was elevated to a diocese. November 17 is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Bishops

• Joseph Sangval Surasarang: appointed October 17, 1986
• Robert Ratna Bamrungtrakul: April 28 1975 - October 17 Oct 1986 (resigned)

1959-1979 the prefecture and later diocese was administrated by Bf. Lucien Bernard Lacoste, bishop of Dali. October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Salvador Dalí as photographed in 1934 by Carl Van Vechten Salvador Domenec Felip Jacint Dalí Domenech (May 11, 1904 - January 23, 1989) was an important Catalan-Spanish painter, best known for his surrealist works. ...

External links

• Website of diocese (http://www.geocities.com/lampangchurch/chiangmaidiocese.htm)
• catholic-hierarchy.org  (http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dchma.html)