Diphu Diocese

​In 1927, with the election of Msgr. Lepailleur, CSC as the first Bishop of Chittagong, Cachar was made part of the new diocese. In 1930, Bishop Lepailleur acquired a fairly large plot of land adjacent to the convent on lease. In 1943, he obtained another lease on a piece of land about 10 minutes walk from the convent, which later became the headquarters of the Prefecture of Haflong and the present residence of priests.

​The Haflong mission was initially run by the Holy Cross Fathers (CSC) attached to the Canadian Province of the Congregation. On 7th January 1952, Haflong was raised to the status of a Prefecture Apostolic and Msgr. Gomes Breens CSC, was appointed the first Prefect Apostolic. His area of jurisdiction consisted of Cachar Hills, Mizo Hills and Tripura. The Haflong Prefecture Apostolic was raised to the status of a Diocese on 26th June 1968 with the Episcopal See at Silchar, and Most Rev. Denzil D’Souza was appointed its first Bishop.

In July 1974, Rev. Fr. Peter Bianchi, SDB was appointed the parish priest of Haflong. With the erection of the Diocese of Diphu, the parish of Haflong, which comprised the whole district of North Cachar Hills, became part of it. The Catholic community of the district of North Cachar Hills is made up of Karbi, Zema Naga, Khasi, Adivasi, Mizo, Hmar, Dimasa and other tribal groups.

​The Salvatorian Fathers (SDS) had adopted Khasi Hills as their main field of missionary activity. They reached the boundary of Karbi Anglong but did not really enter it. Mr. Langtuk Hanse from the village of Marjong, just a few Kilometers from the present parish centre of Umswai, was the first to hear about the Gospel. On 25th January 1914, he led a group of six people from Marjong to Umtyrkhang in Khasi Hills and received baptism at the hands of Fr. Chrysostomus Lefef Mayr, SDS. These six in turn became apostles, and on 4th May 1916, 31 others from the same village received the Catholic faith. On the 15th of the same month, another 22 received baptism. In 1920, some of those who had received baptism came to settle in Umpanai (Amkachi); thus a community was started there too. Later on a Catholic community was formed in Mynser. The work in this region was not restricted to the Karbis only. The Tiwas too responded to the faith. In 1950, some people of Bor Marjong and Umswai embraced the Catholic faith.

​Mr. Joseph Milik and his four children were the first to receive the Catholic faith in Block I under Jrikyndeng. They went to the Raliang Mission and were baptized on 6th March 1942. They were the people of Umkhyrmi. From here the faith spread to the Karbis of other villages.

​Mr. John Kathar with a group of 27 others were the first to receive the Catholic faith in the Rongkhang area. Msgr. Orestes Marengo, SDB received this first group into the Church.

​The first baptisms in Dokmoka region among the Karbis were at Dentaghat in 1969. In 1950, some Catholics came from Sojong to Diphu to settle there, and thus a community was started there too. Later on, the Karbis at Japralangso, Rihalangso, Balipathar and other villages were contacted. The first baptisms in Chokihola region were in the year 1973.

​Although the first baptisms in Karbi Anglong were in 1914, the first parish  was opened only in the year 1967, at Sojong. On 11th February, the parish of Sojong was inaugurated with Fr. John Mariae Nedumpettil as the first parish priest. In 1971, the parish of Diphu was opened. In 1972, the parish of Dokmoka was opened. The parish of Chokihola was opened in 1974, and Umswai in 1977. Japrajan was the last parish opened (1982) before the erection of the Diocese of Diphu.

​Today, the Diocese has 30 Parishes, 14 Mission centres, 58 Convents. The missionary team of the Diocese comprises the diocesan priests, religious priests, brothers and religious woman belonging to various congregations, numerous full time catechists, village catechists and youth leaders. The Diocese is constantly endeavoring to move forward in the spirit of the first missionaries who planted the Gospel in this part of the world.