Bishop Gorantla Johannes of Kurnool Inaugurates Multipurpose Hall for Orvakal Parish Schoolchildren

Orvakal, Andhra Pradesh, 27 June 2025: A moment of great joy marked the day for the faithful of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Mission Church in Orvakal, Kurnool Diocese, as Most Rev. Dr. Gorantla Johannes OCD, Bishop of Kurnool, blessed and inaugurated a new multipurpose hall on June 26, designed to serve the needs of schoolchildren.

The newly opened hall will be used for students’ mid-day meals, gatherings, and cultural activities, providing a much-needed space for community and educational enrichment. The inauguration ceremony included a special Akshara Abhyasam (initiation into learning), a traditional Indian rite symbolising the beginning of a child's formal education.

In a touching gesture, Bishop Johannes personally guided nursery children as they wrote the alphabet for the first time, blessing them and invoking God’s wisdom and knowledge upon them.

Following the event, the parish community honoured Bishop Johannes, Fr. Medam Bhaskar, Fr. Kola Vijaya Raju (Parish Priest), and Sr. Tresa Mathew DSS, Provincial Council Member for Education, for their commitment to the parish and the education of its young members.

By Fr. Kola Vijaya Raju, Parish Priest, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Mission Church, Orvakal