Prefecture Apostolic of Kafiristan and Kashmir
Prefecture Apostolic of Kaiserwilhelmsland
Vicariate Apostolic of Kamerun
Prefecture Apostolic of Southern Kan-su
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Kan-su
Prefecture Apostolic of Upper Kassai
Francis Patrick and Peter Richard Kenrick
Joseph-Marie-Bruno-Constantin Kervyn de Lettenhove
Wilhelm Emmanuel, Baron von Ketteler
Vicariate Apostolic of Kiang-nan
Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Kiang-si
Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Kiang-si
Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Kiang-si
Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin
Benedictine Abbey of Kilwinning
Vicariate Apostolic of Kimberley
Vicariate of Kimberley in Orange
First and Second Books of Kings
Third and Fourth Books of Kings
Prefecture Apostolic of Kwango
Prefecture Apostolic of Kwang-si
Prefecture Apostolic of Kwang-tung
(CHERCHENSIS).
A Chaldean Catholic diocese. The ancient name of the city was Karka of Beit-Slokh in the Beit-Garmai, a province of the Persian Empire. Christianity flourished there very early. In 318 two brothers, Adurpawa and Mihrnarsé, with their sister Mahdoukh, were martyred there. In the fifth century, under King Yezdegert II (438-57), the "History of the city of Beit-Slokh" makes mention of hundreds and thousands of martyrs slain in this city (Moesinger, "Monumenta Syriaca", II). Mention may also be made of a bishop, Mana, in the fourth century, with six nuns: Thekla, Danak, Taton, etc.; the Bishop St. Isaac, in the fifth century; St. Sirina, in 559; etc. The "Synodicon Orientale" (Paris, 1902, 674) mentions nine metropolitans of Beit-Slokh who assisted at various councils between 410 and 612. Lequien (Oriens Christ., II, 1331) speaks of others, many of whom were Catholics. At the beginning of the nineteenth century a number of Nestorians recognized the authority of the pope, who created for them the Diocese of Kerkuk. At present it contains 6000 Catholics, 15 stations, 16 churches and chapels, 22 native priests, and 5 primary schools. The city of Kerkuk itself, which has 30,000 inhabitants and constitutes a sanjak in the vilayet of Mosul, contains only about 300 or 400 Catholics, the remainder of the inhabitants being Mussulmans, Jews, or Nestorians.
CUINET, La Turguie d'Asie, II (Paris), 847-53; Revue de l'Orient Chrétien, I (1896), 444-45; Missiones Catholic (Rome, 1907), 812; DIVAL, La Littérature Syriaque (Paris, 1899), 130-32; 143-45; Labourt, Le Christianisme dans l'empire perse (Paris, 1904), passim.
S. VAILHÉ