Diocese of Chanthaburi

Diocese of Chanthaburi Dioecesis Chanthaburiensis สังฆมณฑลจันทบุรี
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Location
Country	Thailand
Ecclesiastical province	Diocese of Chanthaburi
Metropolitan	Chanthaburi
Statistics
Area	34,000 km2 (13,000 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2006) 4,445,881 37,149 (0.8%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iurischurch	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Chanthaburi
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Silvio Siripong Charatsri
Metropolitan Archbishop	Kriengsak Kovitvanit
Emeritus Bishops	Lawrence Thienchai Samanchit Bishop Emeritus (1971-2009)
Map

On May 11, 1944 the Vicariate Apostolic of Chantaburi was split off from the Vicariate Apostolic of Bangkok. On December 18, 1965 it was elevated to a diocese.

Cathedral

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Chanthaburi

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Thai: อาสนวิหารพระนางมารีอาปฏิสนธินิรมล) 12°36′33.5″N 102°7′7″E is the largest church of Thailand. A first missionary chapel was built at the site in 1711. After being enlarged and rebuilt four times during the nineteenth century, especially due to the immigration of Vietnamese Christian fleeing religious persecution in the homecountry. In 1909 it was rebuilt in its current Gothic style. It is located at the Chanthanimit Road on the left bank of the Chanthaburi River. During World War II the spires were taken down to make the church a less obvious navigational aid to allied bombers; they have since been replaced.

Controversies

In December 2007, the Diocese ordered the Father Ray Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization in Pattaya that operates an orphanage, school for the deaf, blind and disabled to vacate property owned by the Diocese within a matter of weeks. Representatives of the Foundation believe the Diocese plans to build a more profitable school there.