Archbishop Marampudi Joji of Hyderabad Pass Away

NEW DELHI, Aug. 29, 2010, 10:30 Hrs (CBCI NEWS):

Most Rev. Marampudi Joji, the Archbishop of Hyderabad, died of heart attack on August 27. The 68-year old archbishop had been ailing for some time. He had a bypass surgery of heart in 2001 and was on a pacemaker. He also suffered from a cancerous bone and was hospitalised for 10 days last June.

Archbishop Joji was born at Bhimavaram town (which falls at present in the ecclesiastical territory of Eluru) on October 7th, 1942 to late Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Manikyamma. He had his Minor Seminary studies at Nuzvid, Philosophy and Theology at Hyderabad and Bangalore. Late Bishop Joseph Thumma of Vijayawada ordained him priest at Gunadala, (Vijayawada) on December 14th, 1971.

In 1992 he was appointed Bishop of Khammam and was consecrated Bishop at Gunadala (Vijayawada) by Archbishop George Zur, Apostolic Nuncio to India, on 19th March, 1992. Bishop Joji worked for four and a half years in the Diocese of Khammam, and built up the new diocese. On 18th December, 1996 Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Vijayawada. He took charge of the Diocese of Vijayawada on 19th January, 1997. He was the fourth Bishop of Vijayawada, succeeding Bishop Joseph Thumma. His appointment to the Diocese of Vijayawada has begun a new era in the history of the Diocese of Vijayawada. He set new thrusts for the various apostolates of the diocese. Faithful to the visions of the former prelates, he has ably been leading the diocese into the third millennium. On 17th March 2000 he was transferred from Vijayawada and appointed the Archbishop of Hyderabad.

Archbishop Joji held diplomas in Catechetics, Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations from Loyola Institute of Communication and Arts. He obtained a diploma in Business Administration from the School of Public Administration and another diploma in Accountancy from Bombay University. For sometime he worked as a part-time journalist with the Indian Express in Vijayawada.

Till his last days Archbishop Joji served as Secretary to Andhra Pradesh Bishops’ Council (APBC), Chairman of A.P. Jyotirmai Society (A funding agency for pastoral activities in Andhra Dioceses), Chairman of A.P. Regional Forum for Developmental activities, Standing Committee Member of CBCI (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Chairperson of the CBCI Commission for Dalits/Adivasis/Tribals and Backward Classes, New Delhi, Vice-President of APFC (Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches)

The funeral service of Archbishop Joji will be conducted in the Cathedral at Vijayawada on Monday August 30, 2010, at 03.00 p.m. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), condoled the death of Archbishop Joji and led the inmates of the CBCI Centre, in observing a minute of silence and prayer for the repose of the soul of Archbishop Joji.