Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia, Roman Catholic administrative division in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey
The Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia is an administrative division serving Eastern Anatolia, operating through multiple parishes and mission stations. It provides pastoral care to local Catholic communities and displaced persons from neighboring regions.
The institution was established in 1845 as an Apostolic Prefecture in Trabzon and later experienced a period of suspension. It was restored in 1931 as an independent mission and evolved into its current structure.
The region witnessed the first Christian congregations in Antioch around 37 AD, where followers of Christ received their initial denomination as Christians.
The Cathedral of the Annunciation in Iskenderun and the Co-Cathedral of St Anthony of Padua in Mersin serve as the main religious centers across the region. These locations provide access to the most important Catholic sites for visitors interested in the faith's presence here.
The vicariate manages religious services for approximately one thousand Turkish Christians and refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
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