Peter05220035516 at 06:45, 26 January 2026

2026-01-26T06:45:17Z

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{{Short description|Roman Catholic diocese in Andhra Pradesh, India}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox diocese
|jurisdiction = Diocese
|name = Vijayawada
|latin = Dioecesis Viiayavadanus
|country = [[India]]
|territory = Andhra Pradesh
|metropolitan = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam|Visakhapatnam]]
|province = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam|Visakhapatnam]]
|image =
|image_size =
|image_alt =
|caption =
|denomination = [[Roman Catholic]]
|rite = [[Latin Church|Latin Rite]]
|established = 10 January 1933
|cathedral = St Paul’s Cathedral in [[Vijayawada]]
|cocathedral = St Peter’s Co-Cathedral in [[Vijayawada]]
|patron = [[Saints Peter and Paul]]
|patron_title = Patron Saints
|area_km2 = 8,734
|population = 4,730,650
|population_as_of = 2017
|catholics = 359,530
|catholics_percent = 7.6
|parishes = 98
|priests = 276
|language = Telugu, English
|pope = {{Incumbent pope}}
|bishop = [[Thelagathoti J. Raja Rao]], [[Company of Mary|S.M.M.]]
|metro_archbishop = [[Prakash Mallavarapu]]
|coadjutor =
|auxiliary_bishops =
|vicar_general = {{unbulleted list|[[Msgr. Muvvala Prasad,]]|[[Msgr. Mesapam Gabriel]]}}

|map = Map-Diocese-of-Vijayawada.jpg
|map_alt =
|map_caption =

|website = {{URL|http://www.vijayawadadiocese.org/}}
|footnotes = }}
[[File:St.Pauls Cathedral, Vijayawada.png|thumb|St.Paul's Cathedral, Vijayawada]]
The '''Roman Catholic Diocese of Vijayawada''' ({{langx|la|Viiayavadan(us)}}) is a [[diocese]] located in the city of [[Vijayawada]] in the [[ecclesiastical province]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam|Visakhapatnam]] in India. Administratively, the diocese encompasses the geographical [[Krishna district]] of the state of [[Andhra Pradesh]] . The [[Diocese of Vijayawada]] has the largest catholic population (359,000) among all the Suffragan dioceses of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam|Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam]].

==History==
* 10 January 1933: Established as [[Mission “sui iuris”]] of Bezwada from the [[Diocese of Hyderabad]]
* 13 April 1937: Promoted as Diocese of Bezwada
* 21 October 1950: Renamed as Diocese of Vijayawada

==Diocesan demographics==
As of 2017 the Catholic population of the diocese was 3,50,000. These Catholics were served by 189 diocesan priests and 32 priests of religious orders in 98 parishes. Also laboring in the diocese were 37 religious brothers and 795 nuns.

==Leadership==

* Bishop [[Thelagathoti J. Raja Rao]], [[Company of Mary|S.M.M.]] (2 February 2016 – Present)
* Bishop [[Prakash Mallavarapu]] (26 July 2002 – 3 July 2012); named Metropolitan Archbishop of Visakhapatnam
* Bishop [[Marampudi Joji]] (Later Archbishop) (8 November 1996 – 29 January 2000)
* Bishop [[Joseph S. Thumma]] (23 January 1971 – 8 November 1996)
* Bishop [[Ambrose De Battista]], [[P.I.M.E.]] (13 December 1951 – 23 January 1971)

==Parishes==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| St.Paul's Cathedral || St.Peter's Co-Cathedral || Agiripalli
|-
| Ajitsinghnagar || Arugolanu || Assisi nagar (Konkepudi)
|-
| [[Avanigadda]]|| Avutapalli ([[Peda Avutapalli]]) || Azzampudi
|-
| [[Bantumilli]]|| Bhaskarao Peta (Vijayawada) || Bhyravapatnam
|-
| Bodavada- Jammavaram || Carmel Nagar (Vijayawada) || [[Challapalli]]
|-
| [[Chanubanda]]|| [[Chatrai]]|| [[Chillakallu]]
|-
| Christurajupuram (Vijayawada) || Edara || Edulagudem
|-
| [[Enikepadu]]|| [[Gampalagudem]]|| [[Gannavaram, Vijayawada|Gannavaram]]
|-
| [[Gollapudi, Vijayawada|Gollapudi]] (Vijayawada) || Goodmanpeta || [[Gudivada]]
|-
| [[Gudlavalleru]]|| [[Gunadala Matha Shrine|Gunadala]]|| [[Guntupalli, NTR district|Guntupalli]] (Vijayawada)
|-
| Jagannadhapuram || [[Jaggayyapeta]]|| Jeevan Nagar (Jakkampudi)
|-
| Jojinagar (Vijayawada) || Jyothinagar || [[Kaikaluru]]
|-
| [[Kalidindi]]|| Kambhampadu|| [[Kanchikacherla]]
|-
| [[Kankipadu]] (Vijayawada)|| [[Kanur, Vijayawada|Kanuru]] (Vijayawada)|| Keesara
|-
| Kesarapalli|| Koduru|| [[Kondapalli]]
|-
| Kondapavuluru|| Korukollu|| Kotapadu
|-
| Kothapalli|| Kuchipudi|| Labbipeta (Vijayawada)
|-
| Lourdhunagar (Vijayawada)|| [[Machilipatnam]]|| Mallavalli
|-
| [[Manginapudi]]|| Mariapuram (Lakshmipuram) || Muchintala
|-
| [[Mudinepalli]]|| Munagalapalli|| [[Musunuru]]
|-
| [[Mylavaram]]|| [[Nagayalanka]]|| [[Nandigama]]
|-
| Nawabupeta|| Nehrupeta|| [[Nunna]]
|-
| [[Nuzvid]]|| Paidurupadu|| [[Pamarru, Krishna district|Pamarru]]
|-
| Peda-mustabad|| [[Pedana]]|| [[Penamaluru]] (Vijayawada)
|-
| [[Penugolanu]]|| Pezzonipeta (Vijayawada)|| Polukonda
|-
| Raja Rajeswaripeta (Vijayawada)|| Ramanakkapeta|| Ranigarithota (Vijayawada)
|-
| Sahaya Nagar (Ibrahimpatnam)|| Saradanagar|| Satynarayanapuram (Vijayawada)
|-
| Siluvagirinagar|| [[Telaprolu]]|| Theresanagar
|-
| Thukkuluru|| Thurlapadu|| [[Tiruvuru]]
|-
| Uppaluru|| Vanukuru|| [[Vatsavai]]
|-
| Velagalagudem|| [[Vellaturu]]|| [[Velpuru]] (Vijayawada)
|-
| Vennanapudi|| [[Ventrapragada]]|| [[Vissannapeta]]
|-
| [[Vuyyuru]]|| Yesupuram||
|}

==Shrines==
* [[Gunadala Matha Shrine]]
* Br Joseph Thamby Shrine Avutapally
* Lourdu Matha Shrine, Vennanapudi

==Seminaries==
* St. Ambrose Minor Seminary, Nuzivid (1957)
* Angel Minor Seminary, Nuzivid
* St.Paul's Regional Seminary(1984)
* St.Joseph's Major Seminary, Chinavutapalli (2000)

==Education==
As of 2019, the diocese has 27 Elementary Schools, 9 Upper primary Schools, 50 High Schools, 3 Higher Secondary Schools, 10 Colleges, 2 Nursing training Institutes, 10 Non-Formal training centers, 16 Parish Elementary Schools departing education from pre-kindergarten through Post Graduation.

Catholic Institutions of Repute :

* Andhra Loyola college
* Maris Stella College
* [[NSM Public School, Vijayawada|NSM Public School]],
* Nirmala High School
* VSt.Johns, Gannavaram
* Atkinsons High
* St.Mary's English Medium School, Kankipadu

==Media & Publications==

* RADIO MARIA, Vijayawada.
* DIVYAVANI TV Zonal Productions, Vijayawada.
* IN VINCULO CHRISTI (Published since 1957)

==Saints and causes for canonisation==
* Servant of God Joseph Thamby, OFS<ref name="CCBI">{{Cite web|url=http://ccbi.in/saints-blessed/|title=Saints & Blessed – CCBI|accessdate=Oct 17, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.vijayawadadiocese.org/ Official Website]
* [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC95lttGxlElg27po4aatEPQ/ Official YouTube Channel]
* [http://www.gunadalamathashrine.com/default.aspx Gunadala Matha Shrine]
* [http://www.divyavani.tv/ Divyavani TV]
* [http://www.cbci.in/ CBCI]
* [http://www.ccbi.in/ CCBI]
* [http://www.vailankannishrine.net/ Vailankanni Shrine]
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/vija1.htm GCatholic.org]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dvjyw.html Catholic Hierarchy]
* [http://india.ucanews.com/ UCAN]
* [https://www.vatican.va/ The Vatican]

{{Authority control}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vijayawada}}
[[Category:Roman Catholic dioceses in India]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1933]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century]]
[[Category:Christianity in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:1933 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Vijayawada]]

Diocese of Vijayawada - Revision history

Peter05220035516 at 06:45, 26 January 2026