Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam (Latin: Archdioecesis Visakhapatnamensis) is an archdiocese located in the city of Visakhapatnam in India.

• 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.

1. Fr. Jacques Henri Gailhot, (16 March 1845 – 1847)
2. Fr. Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (1847–1850); continued as Vicar Apostolic

1. Bishop Theophile Sebastian Neyret, M.S.F.S. (1850–1862)
2. Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1862–1886); continued as the first bishop

1. Bishop Jean Marie Tissot, M.S.F.S. (1886–1890)
2. Bishop Jean-Marie Clerc, M.S.F.S. (1891–1926)
3. Bishop Pierre Rossillon, M.S.F.S. (1926–1947)
4. Bishop Joseph-Alphonse Baud, M.S.F.S. (1947–1966)
5. Bishop Ignatius Gopu, M.S.F.S. (1966–1981)
6. Bishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (1982–2001); continued as Archbishop

1. Archbishop Kagithapu Mariadas, M.S.F.S. (2001–2012)
2. Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu (2012–2024)^[2]

• Eluru
• Guntur
• Nellore
• Srikakulam
• Vijayawada

• GCatholic.org ^{[self-published]}
• Catholic Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}
• Official Website of the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

17°43′09″N 83°17′05″E / 17.7193°N 83.2846°E / 17.7193; 83.2846