Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam (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
 * 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.

Pro-Vicars Apostolic

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

Vicars 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

Bishops of Visakhapatnam (Vizagapatam until 1950)

 * 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

Archbishops of Visakhapatnam

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

Suffragan dioceses

 * Eluru
 * Guntur
 * Nellore
 * Srikakulam
 * Vijayawada