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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
Protestant Central Relief Council), and no overlapping. Church World Service, Lutheran World Relief, Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A. and the Salvation Army, together with many denominational Committees, are at work in relief; and the World Council of Churches' office enables many destitute non-Chinese refugees from China to be passed through Hong Kong on the way to new life in countries all over the world. The Roman Catholic Church, established in 1841, was until 1874 administered by a Prefect Apostolic. In that year the Rt. Rev. T. Raimondi (P.I.M.E.) was appointed with the title of Vicar Apostolic. In 1946 the status of the Church was raised to that of a Diocese, extending into the Hoifung, Po On, and Wai Yeung Districts of China, and the Rt. Rev. H. Valtorta became the first Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong. The Diocese, since 1858, has been staffed mainly by the priests of the Pontifical Foreign Mission Institute (P.I.M.E.), to which it has been entrusted by the Holy See; they are about to celebrate the Centenary of their first Missionaries' arrival in the Colony.
There are over 20 Roman Catholic Churches in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, most of which are parochial churches, all the Centres in Resettlement Areas having been raised this year into Parishes. Many other churches and chapels are scattered all over the New Territories.
The Church is conducting 141 schools (situated in 71 buildings), either with an English or a Chinese programme of studies, giving instruction to a total of 71,394 pupils.
The most recent official estimate of the Catholic population of the Diocese (30th June, 1956) was 108,587. The Church's activities (parish work, schools, social and charitable work) are carried on by 381 priests and brothers and 565 Catholic Sisters. Many of them are Chinese; the others come from many different countries and belong to a variety of Religious Communities.
Welfare work is widely carried out under the auspices of the Church. There are five hospitals run by Sisters and a