Vatican ambassador to attend installation of archbishop of Vizag

Visakhapatnam: Rev Dr Udumala Bala will be installed as the new Archbishop of Visakhapatnam on Thursday. The celebration will be presided over by Rev Dr Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, representing the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The event will be graced by the presence of several dignitaries of the Indian Church, including Rev Dr Anthony Cardinal Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad, who will preside over the celebration, and Rev Dr Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay, who will be the homilist.

Also in attendance will be eminent archbishops, bishops, provincial superiors, priests, religious leaders, and lay faithful from across the country, making it a national ecclesial celebration.

Rev Dr Udumala Bala was born on June 18, 1954 in Gudur village, Warangal, into a devout Catholic family. He is one of eight siblings, including two religious sisters. He began his priestly formation at St Pius X Minor Seminary, Fatima Nagar, Warangal, and later completed his theological studies at St John's Regional Seminary at Ramanthapur, Hyderabad. He was ordained a priest on Feb 20, 1979.

His early years in pastoral ministry (1979-86) were marked by grassroots engagement with parish communities. He then served in various administrative and academic roles, including treasurer at St John's Seminary, later becoming its Rector from 1994 to 2006. His academic pursuits took him to Rome, where he completed his doctorate in Christian Ethics.

A recognised leader in the Indian Church, Archbishop Bala served as deputy secretary general of the CCBI (2006–13) and later as chairman of the CCBI Commission for Vocations, Seminaries, Clergy, and Religious (2015–23). He was appointed Bishop of Warangal in 2013 and served as Apostolic Administrator of Khammam from 2022 to 2024. On Feb 8, Pope Francis appointed him as the Archbishop of Visakhapatnam. His academic and ecclesiastical credentials include a diploma in Telugu, MA in philosophy, and several leadership roles in diocesan trusts and institutions.