Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

Archidioecesis Metropolitae Visakhapatnamensis

విశాఖపట్నం మెట్రోపాలిటన్ ఆర్చ్ డియోసెస్
Location
CountryIndia
Ecclesiastical provinceVisakhapatnam
Statistics
Area25,950 km2 (10,020 sq mi)
Population
  • Total
  • Catholics
  • (as of 2010)
  • 12,640,684
  • 247,231 (2%)
Information
RiteLatin Rite
CathedralSt Peter’s Cathedral in Visakhapatnam
Co-cathedralSt Anne’s Co-Cathedral in Visakhapatnam
Current leadership
PopeLeo XIV
Metropolitan ArchbishopUdumala Bala Showreddy[1][2]
Bishops emeritusPrakash Mallavarapu

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam (Latin: Archdioecesis Metropolitae Visakhapatnamensis) is an archdiocese located in the city of Visakhapatnam in India.

History

  • 16 March 1845: Established as the Apostolic Pro-Vicariate of Vizagapatam from the Apostolic Vicariate of Madras[3]
  • 3 April 1850: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Vizagapatam
  • 1 September 1886: Promoted as Diocese of Vizagapatam
  • 21 October 1950: Renamed as Diocese of Visakhapatnam
  • 16 October 2001: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

Claretian Missionary Fathers (CMF) entered the diocese in the year 1888. In 1845, Rome entrusted a vast area of Eastern and Central India to the MSFS, who set their headquarters in Visakhapatnam. The first group of MSFS landed on the East coast of India on 8 September 1845. The order of Friars Minor Capuchins. A novitiate was opened in India in 1922 thus planting the order in the Indian soil.

Bishops

Pro-Vicars Apostolic

  1. Fr. Jacques Henri Gailhot, (16 March 1845 – 1847)
  2. Fr. Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (1847–1850); continued as Vicar Apostolic

Vicars Apostolic

  1. Bishop Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (1850–1862)
  2. Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1862–1886); continued as the first bishop

Bishops of Visakhapatnam (Vizagapatam until 1950)

  1. Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1886–1890)
  2. Bishop Jean-Marie Clerc, M.S.F.S. (1891–1926)
  3. Bishop Pierre Rossillon, M.S.F.S. (1926–1947)
  4. Bishop Joseph-Alphonse Baud, M.S.F.S. (1947–1966)
  5. Bishop Ignatius Gopu, M.S.F.S. (1966–1981)
  6. Bishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (1982–2001); continued as Archbishop

Metropolitan Archbishops of Visakhapatnam

  1. Archbishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (2001–2012)
  2. Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu (2012–2024)[4]
  3. Archbishop Udumala Bala Showreddy (2025-Present)[5]

Suffragan dioceses

References

  1. ^ https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/02/08/250208b.html/
  2. ^ https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2025/02/08/0119/00245.html/
  3. ^ "History | Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam".
  4. ^ "Resignations and Appointments". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  5. ^ https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/02/08/250208b.html/

Sources

17°43′09″N 83°17′05″E / 17.7193°N 83.2846°E / 17.7193; 83.2846

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