Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan
| Apostolic administration of Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan Administratio Apostolica Kyrgyzstaniana | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Kyrgyzstan |
| Ecclesiastical province | Immediately subject to the Holy See |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 199,951 km2 (77,202 sq mi) |
| Population Total Catholics |
(as of 2024) 7000000 1000 (0.01%%) |
| Parishes | 4 |
| Information | |
| Rite | Latin |
| Established | 22 December 1997 (as Mission sui iuris) 18 March 2006 (as Apostolic Administration) |
| Cathedral | St. Michael's Cathedral (under construction in Bishkek) |
| Secular priests | 5 |
| Current leadership | |
| Apostolic Administrator | Anthony James Corcoran, SJ |
| Bishops emeritus | Janez Mihelčič, SJ (Apostolic Administrator Emeritus) |
| Website | |
| www.catholic.kg | |
The Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan is a Catholic (Latin Church) Apostolic Administration (pre-diocesan jurisdiction; originally an Independent Mission) for the Catholics of Kyrgyzstan (West Turkistan, Central Asia).
It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See (not part of any ecclesiastical province) and has no (pro-)cathedral see yet.
The area has three parishes, Bishkek, Talas, and Jalalabad.[1] Most parishioners have a Polish, German or Korean background.[2]
History
On 22 December 1997, the Holy See established the Mission sui iuris of Kyrgyzstan on territory split off from the then Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan (shortly after promoted to Diocese of Karaganda, after missiones sui iuris were also split off for Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all in 1997).
On 18 March 2006, the independent mission was promoted as Apostolic Administration.
Ordinaries
- Ecclesiastical superior of the Mission sui iuris
- Father Aleksandr Kan, S.J. (1997.12.22 – 2006.03.18)
- Apostolic Administrators
- Nikolaus Messmer, S.J., titular bishop of Carmeiano (2006.03.18 – 2016.07.18)
- Janez Mihelčič, S.J. (2016.08.01 – 2017.08.29)
- Anthony James Corcoran, S.J., titular bishop of Aeto (since 2017.08.29) [1]
See also
Canonical status and jurisdiction
Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan is a apostolic administration of the Catholic Church.[3]
External links
References
- Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 "Church in Kyrgyzstan: a 'blossoming bud' growing in the peripheries of the world". EWTN News. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
- Back to citation "Meet Anthony Corcoran SJ, Apostolic Administrator in Kyrgyzstan". Jesuits Global. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
- Back to citation Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan, official website