About the year 1840 some British Officers with their Indian regiment, consisting mostly of Madrasis came from Kamptee and stayed on in Jabalpur. The Irish Priests from Madras Vicariate started visiting them. It seems that a certain Fr. Murphy had built a small Chapel somewhere behind the Victoria Hospital or the Sadar Bazar. With the erection of the Vicariate of Vishakapatnam, Rev. Fr. Lavorel MSFS took charge of Kamptee from the Irish Father Murphy. From 1850 to 1858, Jabalpur was an out-station of Kamptee visiting twice or thrice a year. In 1857, when a British regiment was posted at Jabalpur, Rev. Fr. Joseph Thevenet MSFS was appointed as a Military Chaplain. He received the present Church compound plot from the Government where he built a Chapel with some attached rooms for Presbytery and classrooms. The chapel was blessed on 22nd June 1858. Fr. Amedee Delalex was Fr. Thevenet’s assistant and in 1859 took over as Military Chaplain and Parish Priest. Fr. Delalex was the founder of the Catholic Church in Jabalpur and was military Chaplain and Parish Priest for 30 years until his death on July 10, 1889, at the age of 63.
Jabalpur had been under Nagpur diocese since its erection in 1887 and until Jabalpur was made a Prefecture Apostolic in 1932. The MSFS Missionaries took care of the pastoral works in Jabalpur till 1929 when Jabalpur Mission was entrusted to the Norbertine Fathers. Mgr. I.C. Dubbelman O. Praem was appointed Prefect Apostolic on May 29, 1933. During his time in 1954, Jabalpur became a diocese and he was appointed the first Bishop of Jabalpur.
The First floor of then presbytery of the Cathedral Church was turned into Bishop’s House. With the erection of Jabalpur as a diocese, Sts. Peter and Paul Church was declared the Cathedral Church and Saints Peter and Paul were declared the patron saints of Jabalpur Diocese. Thus, the first Church in Jabalpur has become the Cathedral Church.
The construction of the Church at Penti-Naka, Sadar (old Cathedral Church) was started in 1870 and was blessed on 12th January 1873. The present Presbytery was built in 1985. The 125 years old Cathedral Church was severely damaged by the devastating earthquake of May 22, 1997. In 1999, construction of a new Cathedral Church was commenced. The new Church was blessed by Rt. Rev. Theophane O.Praem, Bishop Emeritus of Jabalpur on 8th April 2002 (on the occasion of Bishop Theophane’s Episcopal Silver Jubilee), during the tenure of Rt. Rev. Gerald Almeida, the Bishop of Jabalpur.
The Bishops of the Diocese of Jabalpur
Bishop Conrad Dubbleman O. Praem (1932-1966)
Bishop Leobard D’Souza (1966-1975)
Bishop Theophane M.Thannickunnel O. Praem (1977-2001)
Bishop Gerald Almeida (2001 to till date)