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Diocese of Ratchaburi Diœcesis Ratchaburensis สังฆมณฑลราชบุรี | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country |  Thailand |
| Ecclesiastical province | Bangkok |
| Metropolitan | Bangkok |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 31,362 km2 (12,109 sq mi) |
Population
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| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of Nativity of Our Lady inAmphoe Bang Khonthi |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | Silvio Siripong Charatsri |
| Map | |
 Location of the Diocese of Ratchaburi | |
The (Roman Catholic)Diocese ofRatchaburi (Diœcesis Ratchaburensis,Thai:สังฆมณฑลราชบุรี) is a Latinsuffragan diocese of thearchdiocese of Bangkok in western centralThailand.
The diocese covers an area of 31,362 square kilometres (12,109 mi2), covering four of the westernprovinces of Thailand:Ratchaburi,Phetchaburi,Kanchanaburi, andSamut Songkhram. As of 2001, of the 2.2 million citizens, 15,246 are members of the Catholic Church. It is divided into 17 parishes, having 71 priests altogether.
While thecathedral episcopal see dedicated to theNativity of Our Lady is at Bang Nok Khwaek, the diocesan center is in the town ofRatchaburi.
The diocese dates back to 30 June 1930, when theMission sui iuris of Rajaburi was created, originally responsible for the south and west of Thailand, on territory split off from the thenApostolic Vicariate of Bangkok (now its Metropolitan). It was run by theSalesian order, who came there in 1927 and supplied the missionary Ordinaries. The 18 missionaries took over a mission previously run by theParis Foreign Missionaries.
On 28 May 1934 it was elevated toApostolic Prefecture of Rajaburi; on 3 March 1941 toApostolic Vicariate of Rajaburi, hence entitled to atitular bishop.
On 18 December 1965 it became theDiocese of Bangnokhuek. On 21 October 1966 it was renamedDiocese of Ratburi.
On 26 June 1969 theDiocese of Surat Thani was split off from the diocese (a fellow suffragan of Bangkok), which continued to be run by Salesians, while the remainder, again renamedDiocese of Ratchaburi, was since then under the responsibility of native priests.
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The cathedral of the diocese is theNativity of Our Lady Cathedral (Thai: อาสนวิหารแม่พระบังเกิด). It is in Bang Nok Khwaek,Amphoe Bang Khonthi,Samut Songkhram Province. The church is built in French Gothic style and decorated with stained glass windows imported from France. In two rows these show scenes of the life of Jesus in top row, as well as holy people (men to the north, women to the south).
Around 1840 nine Chinese Catholic families moved to the rim of theMae Klong River. The community grew to about 200 Catholics until 1847, when a first wooden church named Sala Daeng (Red Hall) or Raung Yao (Long Canal) was built near the site of the current cathedral. In 1850 Father Marin bought the land at the mouth of theKhlong Damnoen Saduak and donated it to the church.
In 1890 the French missionary Father Paulo Salmon started construction of theNativity of Our Lady church, which was inaugurated on 2 February 1896. During World War II several of the windows broke, which took until 1993 to be fully repaired. In 1994-1999 a major renovation of the cathedral was undertaken, overseen by Father Pradit.
(allRoman Rite)
