Ecclesiastical Details - Catholics India

Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

Rite:

Latin

Population:

13,208,343

Status:

Archdiocese

Catholics:

116332

Founded:

1850

Diocesan Priests:

124

Total area:

Religious Priests:

Province:

Vishakapatnam

Religious Sisters:

428

Region:

Andhra Pradesh

Seminarians:

Patron:

St. Anne

Languages:

Telugu and English

Civil States:

Andhra Pradesh: Krishna

Contact Archdiocese Office :

Archbishop's House Maharanipeta P.O.Vishakhapatnam - 530 002 ANDRA PREDESH

Telephone 1:

0891-27 06 428 / 0891-27 04 404

Fax:

27 04 404

E-Mail Office:

abphvizag@rediffmail.com

Website:

archdioceseofvisakhapatnam.org

Most Rev. Prakash Mallavarapu, Archbishop of Visakhapatnam

Name:

Most Rev. Prakash Mallavarapu

Designation:

Archbishop

Canonical Possession:

2012-

Telephone (P):

E-mail (P):

Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

Pilgrim Centres in theArchdiocese of Visakhapatnam

Pilgrim Place	Website
Ellur, Our Lady of Nirmalagiri Church	nirmalagiri.org

Ecclesiastical Institutions

Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres

Educational Institutions

Parishes:

Hospitals:

Degree Colleges:

Major Seminaries:

Orphanages:

Technical Training Centres:

Minor Seminaries:

Special Schools:

High Schools:

Monastries:

Crèches:

Lower Primary Schools:

Convents:

Counselling Centres:

Presses & Media Centres:

Formation Houses:

Social Centres:

Professional Colleges:

Retreat Centres:

Dispensaries / Clinics:

Parallel Colleges:

Physically Challenged:

Higher Secondary :

Boarding Houses:

Upper Primary Schools:

HIV / AIDS Centres:

Nurseries/Pre-Primary :

De-addiction Centres:

Aged & Destitute:

History of the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

The area of the Diocese of Visakhapatnam now consists of the area of the civil districts of Visakhapatnam East Godavari and part of Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh.-

This territory was part of the Diocese of Mylapore from 1806 and in 1833 it became part of the Vicariate Apostolic of Madras. However organized Church work began to take place only from 1845 when it was erected into a separate Pro-Vicariate on 16th March 1845 and was handed over to the Fathers of St. Francis de Sales of Annecy France. Later it was made a Vicariate Apostolic through a Brief of Pope Pius IX on 3rd April 1850; and it was constituted into a Diocese when the Indian Hierarchy was established on 1st September 1886. This original territory of the Diocese of Visakhapatnam in 1886 has given shape by now to some fourteen Dioceses including three Archdioceses Nagpur being the first one in 1887 and Srikakulam being the latest one in 1993.-

The First Fathers of St. Francis de Sales on their arrival in Visakhapatnam found there one old Theatine priest who was the last survivor of the priests from Mylapore. At that time there were only a few Catholics scattered about who were mostly European troops in 1850 their total number was estimated to be 4000 even though the Vicariate included the Central Province and Berar which were separated from Visakhapatnam in 1886. The present Diocese is only less than one twentieth in area of the original Diocese in 1886.-

It became an Archdiocese on October 30 2001. The Metropolitan have as its suffragans the diocese of Srikakulam Eluru Vijayawada Guntur and Nellore lying near the coastal belt on the Bay of Bengal.-

With the erection of the new Ecclesiastical Province of Visakhapatnam the province of Hyderabad will have its suffragans the dioceses of Cuddapah Khammam Kurnool Nalgonda Warangal and the Syro - Malabar Eparchy of Adilabad.

Prelates of the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

Prelate's Status	Period	Prelate's Status	Period
	1983-2012	Bishop	1966-1981
Bishop	1947-1966	Bishop	1926-1947
Bishop	1891-1926	Bishop	1863-1886
Bishop	1849-1862