 | 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 | (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 | sede vacante |
| Bishops emeritus | Prakash Mallavarapu |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam ( Latin: Archdioecesis 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 [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 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
- Fr. Jacques Henri Gailhot, (16 March 1845 – 1847)
- Fr. Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (1847–1850); continued as Vicar Apostolic
Vicars Apostolic
- Bishop Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (1850–1862)
- Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1862–1886); continued as the first bishop
Bishops of Visakhapatnam (Vizagapatam until 1950)
- Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1886–1890)
- Bishop Jean-Marie Clerc, M.S.F.S. (1891–1926)
- Bishop Pierre Rossillon, M.S.F.S. (1926–1947)
- Bishop Joseph-Alphonse Baud, M.S.F.S. (1947–1966)
- Bishop Ignatius Gopu, M.S.F.S. (1966–1981)
- Bishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (1982–2001); continued as Archbishop
Archbishops of Visakhapatnam
- Archbishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (2001–2012)
- Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu (2012–2024) [2]
Suffragan dioceses
References
- ^ "History | Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam".
- ^ "Resignations and Appointments". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 18 February 2024.