Church Roman Catholic Successor Incumbent | Predecessor D. M. Prakasam Name Gallela Prasad | |
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In office 31 January 2008 – present | ||
Gallela prasad
G. Prasad (born 7 April 1962) is the fourth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cuddapah, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.
Contents
- Gallela prasad
- Gallela prasad bishop
- Motto
- Early years
- Divinity
- Ordination Pastorship
- Higher Studies Research
- Pastoral ministry
- Professorship
- Appointment
- References
St. Mary's Cathedral (built in 1934 in the Gothic style) in Kadapa is the seat of the Bishop of Cuddapah.
Earlier, Prasad was a Roman Catholic clergyman who served as a priest in the diocese of Kurnool soon after his ordination in 1989.
The Bishop is well versed in Latin as well as Telugu and English.
Gallela prasad bishop
Motto
Ego sum Pastor bonus: I am the good shepherd.
Much before the consecration of Bishop Prasad, he seems to have decided on the motto 'The Lord is my strength and I trust in Him Compare Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts;.....
Early years
Prasad was born into a family of teachers in Adoni in Andhra Pradesh as the fourth and youngest child. Smt. Mariamma and Sri Jojappa were his parents. He went to school in his hometown, and later joined St. Pius Minor Seminary in Kurnool for a year's course.
Divinity
As part of pre-divinity studies, he left for St. John's Regional Seminary(a regional philosophate of the Catholic Church in Andhra Pradesh established in 1982 and managed by the Salesians of Don Bosco), Kondadaba, Visakhapatnam and pursued philosophy. Subsequently, he pursued theology at the St. John's Regional Seminary in Ramanthapur, Hyderabad.
Ordination & Pastorship
On 1 March 1989, Prasad was ordained priest for the Catholic Diocese of Kurnool by Bishop Matthew Cheriankunnel, the second Bishop of Kurnool who served from 18 January 1988 to 16 July 1991, in Adoni.
After his ordination, Prasad served as a Youth Services Director of the diocese of Kurnool from 1989 to 1993 as well as a warden for St. Mary's Junior College, Kurnool. from 1989 to 1990.
In 1990, he became a parish priest in Koilakunta and continued till 1995.
He also served as Spiritual Director of the Legion of Mary from 1993 to 1995.
Higher Studies & Research
From 1995 to 1999 Prasad studied in Rome, Italy. He is an alumnus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Angelicum where he earned the Doctorate of Sacred Theology. His thesis was entitled Christian Charity as Witnessed by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
In the year 1999, on successful completion of his studies, he was awarded the degree of DTh by the University.
Pastoral ministry
On returning to India in 1999, he was Pastor in St. John's Church, Uppaladadiya till 2000.
Later, he was sent abroad to North America in 2000 to the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas and assigned a pastoral ministry.
Professorship
In 2004, he was recalled to India and made Spiritual Director and Professor of Christian Doctrine in the St. John's Regional Seminary (Philosophate) in Kothavalasa, Visakhapatnam.
Appointment
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Prasad as Bishop of Cuddapah on 31 January 2008. Prasad chose to be consecrated on 1 March 2008, the same date as he was ordained as a priest in 1989.
M. Joji, the Archbishop of Hyderabad principally consecrated Prasad while the Most Rev. K. Mariadas, Archbishop of Visakhapatnam and the Most Rev. D. M. Prakasam, Bishop of Nellore were the co-consecrators at the St. Mary's Old Cathedral Grounds, Mariapuram, Cuddapah on 1 March 2008. Almost all the Catholic Bishops of the Andhra region took part in the consecration. Amongst the ecumenical invitees who was seated alongside the newly consecrated Bishop was K. B. Yesuvaraprasad, the Church of South India's Bishop of Rayalaseema.