A Roman-Catholic parish has existed in Astana since 1999, when Pope John Paul II established an apostolic administration in Kazakhstan’s capital. Four years later, in 2003, it was raised to the status of an archdiocese. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help serves as the archdiocesan cathedral in Astana.
The Roman-Catholic archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary based in Astana covers Karaganda, Almaty, and the apostolic administrative of Atyrau, and so it serves all Kazakhstan. In total some 200,000 citizens of Kazakhstan are Catholics.
