Roman Catholic Diocese of Vijayawada

Diocese of Vijayawada

*Dioecesis Viiayavadanus*
Diocese of Vijayawada; Dioecesis Viiayavadanus
Location
Country	India
Territory	Andhra Pradesh
Ecclesiastical province	Visakhapatnam
Metropolitan	Visakhapatnam
Statistics
Area	8,734 km2 (3,372 sq mi)
Population; - Total; - Catholics	(as of 2017); 4,730,650; 3,59,530 (7.6%)
Parishes	98
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	10 January 1933
Cathedral	St Paul’s Cathedral in Vijayawada
Co-cathedral	St Peter’s Co-Cathedral in Vijayawada
Patron Saints	Saints Peter and Paul
Secular priests	276
Language	Telugu, English
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Thelagathoti J. Raja Rao, S.M.M.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Prakash Mallavarapu
Vicar General	Msgr. Muvvala Prasad,; Msgr. Mesapam Gabriel;
Map
Website
	www.vijayawadadiocese.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vijayawada (Template:Lang-la) is a diocese located in the city of Vijayawada in the Ecclesiastical province of Visakhapatnam in India. Administratively, the diocese encompasses the geographical Krishna district of the state of Andhra Pradesh . The Diocese of Vijayawada has the largest catholic population(.35 million) among all the Suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam.

History

10 January 1933: Established as Mission “sui iuris” of Bezwada from the Diocese of Hyderabad
13 April 1937: Promoted as Diocese of Bezwada
21 October 1950: Renamed as Diocese of Vijayawada

Diocesan demographics

As of 2017 the Catholic population of the diocese was 3,50,000. These Catholics were served by 189 diocesan priests and 32 priests of religious orders in 98 parishes. Also laboring in the diocese were 37 religious brothers, and 795 nuns

Leadership

Bishop Thelagathoti J. Raja Rao, S.M.M. (2 February 2016 – Present)
Bishop Prakash Mallavarapu (26 July 2002 – 3 July 2012); named Metropolitan Archbishop of Visakhapatnam
Bishop Marampudi Joji (Later Archbishop) (8 November 1996 – 29 January 2000)
Bishop Joseph S. Thumma (23 January 1971 – 8 November 1996)
Bishop Ambrose De Battista, P.I.M.E. (13 December 1951 – 23 January 1971)

Parishes

St.Paul's Cathedral	St.Peter's Co-Cathedral	Agiripalli
Ajitsinghnagar	Arugolanu	Assisi nagar (Konkepudi)
Avanigadda	Avutapalli	Azzampudi
Bantumilli	Bhaskarao peta	Bhyravapatnam
Bodavada- Jammavaram	Carmel nagar	Challapalli
Chanubanda	Chatrai	Chillakallu
Christurajupuram	Edara	Edulagudem
Enikepadu	Gampalagudem	Gannavaram
Gollapudi	Goodmanpeta	Gudivada
Gudlavalleru	Gunadala	Guntupalli
Jagannadhapuram	Jaggayyapeta	Jeevan nagar (Jakkampudi)
Jojinagar	Jyothinagar	Kaikaluru
Kalidindi	Kambhampadu	Kanchikacherla
Kankipadu	Kanuru	Keesara
Kesarapalli	Koduru	Kondapalli
Kondapavuluru	Korukollu	Kotapadu
Kothapalli	Kuchipudi	Labbipeta
Lourdhunagar	Machilipatnam	Mallavalli
Manginapudi	Mariapuram (Lakshmipuram)	Muchintala
Mudinepalli	Munagalapalli	Musunuru
Mylavaram	Nagayalanka	Nandigama
Nawabupeta	Nehrupeta	Nunna
Nuzvid town	Paidurupadu	Pamarru
Peda-mustabad	Pedana	Penamaluru
Penugolanu	Pezzonipeta	Polukonda
Raja rajeswaripeta	Ramanakkapeta	Ranigarithota
Sahaya nagar (Ibrahimpatnam)	Saradanagar	Satynarayanapuram
Siluvagirinagar	Telaprolu	Theresanagar
Thukkuluru	Thurlapadu	Tiruvuru
Uppaluru	Vanukuru	Vatsavai
Velagalagudem	Vellaturu	Velpur
Vennanapudi	Ventrapragada	Visannapeta
Vuyyuru	Yesupuram

Shrines

Gunadala Matha Shrine
Br Joseph Thamby Shrine Avutapally
Lourdu Matha Shrine, Vennanapudi

Seminaries

St. Ambrose Minor Seminary, Nuzivid (1957)
Angel Minor Seminary, Nuzivid
St.Paul's Regional Seminary(1984)
St.Joseph's Major Seminary, Chinavutapalli (2000)

Education

As of 2019, the diocese has 27 Elementary schools, 9 Upper primary Schools, 50 High Schools, 3 Higher Secondary Schools, 10 Colleges, 2 Nursing training Institutes, 10 Non-Formal training centers, 16 Parish Elementary Schools departing education from pre-kindergarten through Post Graduation.

Catholic Institutions of Repute :

Andhra Loyola college
Maris Stella College
NSM Public School
Nirmala High School
VSt.Johns, Gannavaram
Atkinsons High
St.Mary's English Medium School, Kankipadu

Media & Publications

RADIO MARIA, Vijayawada.
DIVYAVANI TV Zonal Productions, Vijayawada.
IN VINCULO CHRISTI (Published since 1957)

Saints and causes for canonisation

Servant of God Joseph Thamby, OFS^[1]

References

^ "Saints & Blessed – CCBI". Retrieved 17 October 2019.

External links

16°29′58″N 80°39′24″E / 16.4995°N 80.6567°E / 16.4995; 80.6567

[CCBI-1] "Saints & Blessed – CCBI". Retrieved 17 October 2019.

[1]