Diocese of

Vijayawada

India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Vijayawada / Viiayavadan(us) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Visakhapatnam

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Peter and Saint Paul of Tarsus

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1933.01.10: Established as Mission sui juris of Bezwada / Betsuaden(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Hyderabad)
1937.04.13: Promoted as Diocese of Bezwada / Betsuaden(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Madras)
1950.10.21: Renamed as Diocese of Vijayawada / Viiayavadan(us) (Latin)
1953.09.19: Became suffragan of Hyderabad
1976.12.09: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Eluru
2001.10.16: Became suffragan of Visakhapatnam

Present Prelates

Bishop (2015.12.19 – ...):

Bishop Joseph Raja Rao Thelegathoti, S.M.M. (72)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Vijayawada (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph Raja Rao Thelegathoti, S.M.M. (72)
(2015.12.19 – ...)

Bishop of Vijayawada (India)

To unite in love

Born:	1952.03.08 (Peddautapally, India)
Ordained Priest:	1980.06.07
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.02.02

Bishop of Vijayawada (India) (2015.12.19 – ...)

Bishop Joji Govindu (80)
(Apostolic Administrator 2012.08.09 – 2015.12.19)

Bishop Prakash Mallavarapu (75) (later Archbishop)
(2002.07.26 – 2012.07.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Visakhapatnam (India)

Good news for all

Born:	1949.01.29 (Jadi-Jamalpur, India)
Ordained Priest:	1979.10.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1998.07.22

Priest of Hyderabad (India) (1979.10.11 – 1998.05.22)

Bishop of Cuddapah (India) (1998.05.22 – 2002.07.26)

Bishop of Vijayawada (India) (2002.07.26 – 2012.07.03)

General Secretary of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2005 – 2011)

Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Nellore (India) (2005.10.22 – 2006.12.07)

Apostolic Administrator of Eluru (India) (2009.08.25 – 2013.06.13)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Visakhapatnam (India) (2012.07.03 – 2024.02.17)

Bishop Marampudi Joji (later Archbishop)
(1996.11.08 – 2000.01.29)

Born:	1942.10.07 (Bhimavaram, India)
Ordained Priest:	1971.12.14
Consecrated Bishop:	1992.03.19
Died:	2010.08.27 († 67)

Bishop of Khammam (India) (1991.12.21 – 1996.11.08)

Bishop of Vijayawada (India) (1996.11.08 – 2000.01.29)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad (India) (2000.01.29 – 2010.08.27)

Bishop Joseph S. Thumma
(1971.01.23 – 1996.11.08)

Born:	1918.12.19 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1952.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.05.07
Died:	1997.08.18 († 78)

Titular Bishop of Cunga Féichin (1970.01.02 – 1971.01.23)

Coadjutor Bishop of Vijayawada (India) (1970.01.02 – 1971.01.23)

Bishop of Vijayawada (India) (1971.01.23 – 1996.11.08)

Bishop Ambrose De Battista, P.I.M.E.
(1951.12.13 – 1971.01.23)

Born:	1905.05.22 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1928.06.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1952.03.19
Died:	1971.12.15 († 66)

Bishop of Vijayawada (India) (1951.12.13 – 1971.01.23)

Bishop Domenico Grassi, P.I.M.E.
(1938.12.03 – 1951.05.09)

Born:	1887.08.08 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1911.06.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1939.05.01
Died:	1951.05.09 († 63)

Ecclesiastical Superior of Bezwada (India) (1933 – 1937.04.13)

Apostolic Administrator of Bezwada (India) (1937.04.13 – 1938.12.03)

Bishop of Vijayawada (India) (1938.12.03 – 1951.05.09)

Ecclesiastical Superiors of Bezwada (Roman Rite)

Fr. Domenico Grassi, P.I.M.E. (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1937.04.13 – 1938.12.03)

Fr. Domenico Grassi, P.I.M.E. (later Bishop)
(1933 – 1937.04.13)

(see above)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Joseph S. Thumma (1970.01.02 – 1971.01.23)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Co-Cathedral: St. Peter’s Co-Cathedral, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh

Guntur (↙), Eluru (↗)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 8,727 km²

Population: 302,586 Catholics (4.3% of 7,071,580 total)

Pastoral Centres: 105 parishes

Personnel: 275 priests (140 diocesan, 135 religious), 1,231 religious (179 brothers, 1,052 sisters), 20 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.01.03

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