BELLARY, AUG. 28: Hyderabad Archbishop Marampudi Joji passed away on Friday evening Aug. 27 at Archbishop’s House in Secunderabad after he suffered a massive cardiac arrest. He was 68. It has been reported that after lunch at 2 pm, the bishop went to his room to take rest and locked it from inside. In the evening, as the bishop didn't come out even after 5.30 pm, his secretary K Pratap knocked on his door. Finding no response from the Archbishop, his staff were alerted and they found him lying on the floor.
Doctors of the local Care Hospital, Nampally, who were called in declared the Archbishop dead around 6 pm.
The Archbishop had undergone a bypass surgery at Care Hospital in 2002. The Archbishop’s secretary, Fr Pratap, said the Archbishop had a normal day. “After lunch he had a nap. He returns to work at 4.30 pm. We rang on the intercom but there was no response. At 6 pm the staff opened the door and found the Archbishop on the floor,” he said.
Archbishop Joji was born in Bheemavaram of West Godavari district on October 7, 1942. He became a priest in 1971 and was appointed Bishop of Khammam in 1991.
In 1996, he was appointed bishop of Vijayawada and was made Archbishop of Hyderabad on January 29, 2000.
The archbishop's body was shifted toSt Mary’s Church, Secunderabad, at around 10 pm where thousands paid their last respects. As mentioned in his will, the bishop's funeral will be held on Sunday at Gunadala shrine, Vijayawada at 3 pm. Laity and public will be allowed to pay their last respects at the Gunadala shrine premises.
As a mark of respect for the late bishop, all Catholic educational institutions in Medak, Ranga Reddy district and the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad will be remain closed on Saturday.
The Shrine of Bellary Arogya Mathe was blessed and dedicated on 8th September 2000 on the feast of the Nativity of our Blessed Mother Mary in memory of the great jubilee 2000 and the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Bellary