Most Rev. Mallavarapu Prakash has been installed as the Archbishop of Visakhapatnam diocese of the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church while the outgoing Archbishop Most Rev. Kagithapu Mariadas was given a touching farewell at a glittering ceremony at St. Peter’s Cathedral grounds here on Thursday.
The Papal message from Vatican was first read out in Italian and later in English and Telugu languages.
After reading out the message from the Pope Benedict John Paul XVI of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, the representative of Pope and Archbishop of India and Nepal Most Rev. Salvatore Pennacchio, said the Papal mandate was given to serve the flock of Jesus Christ and the needy world.
He said that, “To know the word of God is to know God” and expressed the hope that the Bishop would be endued with the grace of God to bestow the God ordained ministry to those in spiritual darkness.
Describing the omnipotence of God and the miniscule nature of man, he quoted, “Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my foot stool” from the Holy Scriptures.
The Vatican message paid rich tributes to the outgoing archbishop K. Mariadas for his outstanding work for three decades in the local diocese. The message also said the Bishop-designate M. Prakash was also not new to the ministry.
He served earlier as Bishop of Cuddapah diocese and was transferred currently from Vijayawada to the local diocese.
Bishop Prakash, addressing the faithful soon after the installation ceremony conducted by Rev. Salvatore, expressed the faith that he would not be alone in discharging his duties.
The congregation and the large array of priests and the clergy at different levels of administration would help him to serve the children of God. He described the outgoing Bishop Mariadas as the darling of the city and the local church.
The Bishop later led the church to a prayer of confession and for grace to live the fullness of Christian life. The church choir band presented a ‘praise and worship’ performance. A host of Bishops and the clergy from the diocese of Hyderabad, Guntur, Srikakulam, Nalgonda, Adilabad, Khammam, Nellore, Cuddapah, and Kurnool participated.
