The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vijayawada () is a diocese located in the city of Vijayawada in the ecclesiastical province of 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 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 350,000. 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, 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
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 Gollapudi (Vijayawada) Goodmanpeta Gudivada Gudlavalleru Gunadala Guntupalli (Vijayawada) Jagannadhapuram Jaggayyapeta Jeevan Nagar (Jakkampudi) Jojinagar (Vijayawada) Jyothinagar Kaikaluru Kalidindi Kambhampadu Kanchikacherla Kankipadu (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 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, 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
References
External links Official Website Official YouTube Channel Gunadala Matha Shrine Divyavani TV CBCI CCBI Vailankanni Shrine GCatholic.org Catholic Hierarchy UCAN The Vatican