The Diocese of Kurnool comprises the two civil districts of Kurnool and Anantapur. On June 12, 1967, with the appointment of Msgr. Joseph Rajappa, the first bishop of Kurnool, these two districts were separated from the diocese of Nellore and created into the diocese of Kurnool. The diocese is historic in its essence because it has the merit of having given birth to the Church of Christ in Andhra Pradesh State in India and also to the first priest Rev. Fr. John Emmanuel Balandhar, who was ordained in the year 1871 in the diocesan parish of Onteddupalle.
The Indian History of Christianity reveals that the Rayalaseema region is the cradle of Catholicism in Andhra Pradesh.
The two districts of this region Anantapur and kurnool gave birth to Catholicism in Krishnapuram and Onteddupalle, Polur and Cowlur respectively. The Karnatic Jesuit missionaries planted the seeds of Christianity in these villages in the 1700s and also contributed extensively to Telugu Christian literature. The diocese is proud to be at the forefront of the origin of Catholicism in Andhra Pradesh.
After the withdrawal of the Jesuits in 1773, the Foreign Missionary Society of Paris took over the missionary task and kept the faith of the people alive. From 1875 onwards, the Mill Hill Fathers also worked for some time in the western parts of the diocese. As a result of their hard work, Kurnool was erected as a diocese in 1967. Subsequently, many initiatives were launched in this area, not only in the areas of evangelization and pastoral activity, but also in education, healthcare and social development.
And it is in this context that the village of Pedda Kottala is located, where a multi-purpose hall was built in the parish dedicated to the Sacred Name of Jesus.
This hall is of fundamental use to the parish community made up of more than 3000 people. The construction of this hall had a dual function in the economy of the Pedda Kottala community. First of all, it is a large space where the parish can hold catechism lessons, important celebrations such as weddings, parish youth meetings, baptisms and Holy Communion services, and even less institutional occasions such as birthday parties. Secondly, a multifunctional hall of this kind allows the parish to have a form of income which makes it self-sufficient.
This project also aims to contribute to the good of the people of God in the parish as it has an impact not only at the parish level, but also at the diocesan and regional level. Many helped in the realization of the hall. First of all, the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Yeruva Joji Reddy, who is also the procurator of the diocese and who together with Engineer Smd Ismael and the contractor, took part in the project. The administrator of the diocese of Kurnool, Monsignor. Anthonappa Chowrappa carried out regular visits and gave necessary suggestions for its completion. Finally, the continuous help of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which has always supported the work with its own funds, was also fundamental. Although the project was supported by many, its implementation encountered difficulties. While on the one hand the road infrastructure was good and the materials necessary for construction were easily purchased, on the other hand, unexpected rains and the lack of labor slowed down the completion of construction in the winter season. The summer season also caused a few obstacles, in particular the lack of water which led to further delay, but was resolved by using some funds and purchasing the water necessary for construction. Once the construction work of the hall was completed, Monsignor Anthonappa Chowrappa blessed and inaugurated the hall on August 27, 2023, with a celebration in the presence of the parish priest, priests and religious of the vicariate of Nandyal.
