Fr. Bala engaged in vibrant evangelization and revival of village missions early on as a priest in the remote areas of his native diocese of Vijayawada. Simultaneously, He led transformative rural development efforts as Diocesan Director of the Andhra Pradesh Social Service Society (APSSS) focusing on women’s empowerment, skill training, sanitation awareness, and low-cost housing to improve the lives of the poor.
In 2004, his mission took him to the United States, where he served as Associate Pastor at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Santa Maria, California. He later ministered at St. Joseph’s Church in Hawthorne and St. John Baptist de la Salle Church in Granada Hills in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Upon his return to India, Fr. Bala entered a pioneering phase in Catholic media leadership.
From 2011 to 2020, as Director of Amruthavani Communications Centre, he revitalized its programming and trained over 400 Catholic graduates for mainstream journalism, strengthening the Church’s voice in an often hostile and challenging media landscape. He also served as dean and faculty at the Amruthavani Institute of Mass Communications (AIMC), where his students joined prominent media houses in India. He lectured in media studies for over a decade at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad, and was a visiting faculty member at St. John’s Regional Seminary, Ramanthapur.
In 2015, Fr. Bala launched Divyavani Catholic TV Channel, the first Catholic satellite television station for Telugu-speaking audiences. As its Founder-CEO until 2023, he expanded its reach across India, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown, offering spiritual programming to millions. He wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning short feature film The Last Appeal, which received honours at the Las Vegas International Film Festival and the Catholic International Film Festival in Poland. He also created the stage production The Mother – Breaking the Barriers, a theatrical tribute to Mother Teresa featuring artists from Tollywood and Bollywood. His contributions include a special series titled The God of Mercy for EWTN and a book by the same name.
After returning to the U.S. in 2023, he served at St. Joachim’s Church, Costa Mesa and as Parochial Vicar at Holy Trinity Church, Ladera Ranch, Diocese of Orange. Fr. Bala continues to live out his vocation as a communicator of God’s love — whether from the pulpit, in the remote field, behind the camera, or through the written word.