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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2019) |
Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam Archidioecesis Visakhapatnamensis విశాఖపట్నం ఆర్చ్డియోసెస్ | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Ecclesiastical province | Visakhapatnam |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 25,950 km2 (10,020 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members) | (as of 2010) 12,640,684 247,231 (2%) |
| Information | |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Cathedral | St Peter’s Cathedral in Visakhapatnam |
| Co-cathedral | St Anne’s Co-Cathedral in Visakhapatnam |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Prakash Mallavarapu |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam/Vizag/Vishakhapatnam (Latin: Visakhapatnamen(sis)) is an Archdiocese located in the city of Visakhapatnam in India.
History[edit]
- 16 March 1845: Established as the Apostolic Pro-Vicariate of Vizagapatam from the Apostolic Vicariate of Madras[1]
- 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 to the MSFS a vast area of Eastern and Central India with the headquarters at 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.(Chinna Waltair) Society of Jesus(K.D. Peta) Congregation of the Missions (C.M) Vincentians (Ukkunagaram)
Leadership[edit]
- Archbishops of Visakhapatnam (Latin Rite)
- Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu; Archbishop; formerly Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vijayawada, India
- Archbishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (16 October 2001 – 3 July 2012); retired
- Bishops of Visakhapatnam (Latin Rite)
- Bishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (later Archbishop) (10 September 1982 – 16 October 2001)
- Bishop Ignatius Gopu, M.S.F.S. (4 October 1966 – 2 August 1981)
- Bishop Joseph-Alphonse Baud, M.S.F.S. (21 October 1950 – 4 October 1966)
- Bishops of Vizagapatam (Latin Rite)
- Bishop Joseph-Alphonse Baud, M.S.F.S. (23 March 1947 – 21 October 1950)
- Bishop Pierre Rossillon, M.S.F.S. (18 June 1926 – 22 March 1947)
- Bishop Jean-Marie Clerc, M.S.F.S. (19 February 1891 – 18 June 1926)
- Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1 September 1886 – 1890)
- Vicars Apostolic
- Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1862 – 1 September 1886)
- Bishop Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (3 April 1850–5 Nov 1862)
- Pro-Vicars Apostolic
- Fr. Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (1847 – 3 April 1850)
- Fr. Jacques Henri Gailhot, (16 March 1845 – 1847)