History
16.3.1845: Vishakhapatnam was erected Pro-Vicariate bifurcating it from the Madras Vicariate and the Jurisdiction was handed over to the missionaries of St. Francis De Sales of Annecy, France. Jabalpur becomes part of Vishakhapatnam and so the spiritual needs of the Roman Catholics from then on begin to be met the MSFS Priests.
22.6.1856: Blessing of the first Chapel in Jabalpur.
1857: Rev. Fr. Joseph Thenevet MSFS appointed first resident priest in Jabalpur.
1859: Fr. Amedeo Delalex MSFS takes the charge of Jabalpur from Fr. Joseph Thenevet MSFS.
1859: Fr. Josepsh Lavorel MSFS begins his mission in Mandla.
1869: Establishment of St. Aloysius School.
1870: Construction of SS. Peter & Paul Church begins.
12.1.1873: Blessing of SS. Peter & Paul Church by Msgr. J. M. Tissot MSFS, Vicar Apostolic of Vishakhapatnam.
1873: Arrival of the first Religious Sisters in Jabalpur. Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery open a convent and start a school in Sadar, Jabalpur.
1887: Erection of the Diocese of Nagpur. The jurisdiction of Jabalpur comes under Nagpur.
10.8.1889: Fr. Amedee Delalex MSFS goes to the heavenly abode after serving the church of Jabalpur for 30 long years.
1910: Fr. Crochet MSFS from the seminary at Nagpur begins visiting Nainpur to meet the spiritual needs of Railway employees there.
1921: Arrival of the Religious Sisters: Catechist Missionaries of Mary Immaculate at Dhanora.
1923: The first Dutch missionaries from the Abbey of Berne, Netherlands set their feet on the Indian sub-continent. Their initial ministry is in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. They are: Fr. G. Bazelmans O'Praem, Fr. I. C. Dubbelman O'Praem & Fr. Laane O'Praem. They begin their mission from Phirangipuram, Andhra Pradesh.
29.9.1925: A Chapel at Dhanora was erected. It was blessed by Bishop Coppel MSFS of Nagpur.
1925: Rev.Fr. Bonnevie MSFS appointed first resident priest at Dhanora.
29.2.1928: Blessing of Nainpur church by Bishop Coppel MSFS of Nagpur.
1929: Dutch Norbertine missionaries from the abbey of Berne, Netherlands leave Phirangipuram and arrive in Jabalpur. They are: Fr. G. Bazelmans O'Praem, Fr. I. C. Dubbelman O'Praem, Fr. N. Van Rooijen, Fr. E. de Bruin, Bro.Aloysius & Bro. Joseph. MSFS Fathers handover the charge of Jabalpur to newly come Norbertine Fathers and leave Jabalpur.
1930: Fr. E. De Bruin O'Praem begins his mission from Nainpur.
18.7.1932: Jabalpur erected as Prefecture Apostolic by the brief ‘De Romanorum Pontificum’ by dismembering from the Diocese of Nagpur, the districts of Jabalpur, Mandla, Narsinghpur and the Tehsil of Lakhnadon, and from the Diocese of Allahabad, the districts of Chhattarpur, Damoh, Rewa, Sagar, Satna, Shahdol, Sidhi and Tikamgarh. Most Rev. I. Conrad Dubbelman O'Praem appointed as its Prefect Apostolic.
1951: Establishment of St. Aloysius College, Sadar with Rev. Fr. H.Van Engleen O'Praem as its first Principal.
1951: Starting of St. Augustine's Minor Seminary in the present St. Thomas School campus. Fr. Meesters O'Praem appointed the first Rector.
5.7.1954: Jabalpur raised to the status of a Diocese by the Papal Bull ‘Qui Genus Humanum’.
19.10.1954: Most Rev. I.C. Dubbelman O'Praem consecrated as the first Bishop of Jabalpur.
1960: Medical services in Katra begin.
21.5.1962: Establishment of St. Norbert's priory at Jamtara. Fr. Rooyman appointed its first Prior.
1963: Erection of the Archdiocese of Bhopal. Sagar dismembered from the diocese of Jabalpur and made part of the newly created Archdiocese of Bhopal.
3.12.1964: Ordination of Most Rev. Leobard D'Souza as the Co-adjutor of Jabalpur by H. H. Pope Paul VI during the Eucharistic Congress in Bombay.
8.1.1966: Most Rev. I. C. Dubbelman O'Praem retires as the Bishop of Jabalpur and hands over the charge to Most Rev. Leobard D'Souza.
29.7.1968: Creation of the Exarchate of Satna by the Papal Bull 'In More Est' of Pope Paul VI. Districts of Chhattarpur, Panna, Rewa, Satna, Sidhi and Tikamgarh dismembered from the diocese of Jabalpur and the area covered by these districts formed the newly created exarchate of Satna.
Sept 1975: Most Rev. Leobard D'Souza is transferred to Nagpur as its Archbishop. Rev. Fr. Xavier Barret takes charge as the Vicar Capitular of Jabalpur.
31.3.1977: Episcopal Ordination of Most Rev. Theophane O'Praem as the bishop of Jabalpur.
21.12.1977: Most Rev. I. C. Dubbelman O'Praem breathes his last at Katra hospital.
15.2.1984: Establishment of Canonry at Jamtara
22.5.1997: Devastating earthquake hits Jabalpur during the early hours of the day. The SS. Peter & Paul Cathedral severely damaged.
17.9.1997: Ordination of Most Rev. Gerald Almeida as the Co-adjutor of Jabalpur.
7.10.2000: Canonry of Jamtara established as an autonomous Abbey.
13.11.2000: Abbatial blessing of Rt. Rev. Nicholas Ambrose O'Praem as the first Abbot of St. Norbert's Abbey, Jamtara.
16.5.2001: Most Rev. Theophane O'Praem demits office as the Bishop of Jabalpur and hands over the charge to his successor Most Rev. Gerlad Almeida.
8.4.2002: Blessing of the newly erected SS. Peter & Paul Cathedral by Most Rev. Theophane O'Praem, Bishop Emeritus, Jabalpur Diocese.
2004: The Bishop's house shifted from Pentinaka, Sadar to Sneh Sadan Campus.
19.12.2005: Archbishop Leobard D'Souza, Bishop Emeritus of Jabalpur, breathes his last at Nagpur. (He was Bishop Emeritus of Nagpur)
2009: Establishment of St. Aloysius Institute of Technology (SAIT Campus).
21.11.2016: Most Rev. Theophane O'Praem breathes his last at Jamtara.
2023: Establishment of Law College (SAIT Campus).
Total Area:53 sq.km
No. of Catholics: 28536(As on December 2023)
No. of Priests: 1. Diocesan: 79 2. Religious: 59
No. of Congregations: 1. Religious Sisters: 364 2. Religious Brothers: 13 Language: Hindi