History
By the Apostolic Decree “Ad Lucem Sancti Evangelii” of 31 March 1962 Pope John XXIII erected the Ecclesiastical Unit of Chanda separating three Civil districts namely, Wardha, Chanda and Adilabad from the Archdiocese of Nagpur. This new ecclesiastical unit was constituted as an “Ordinariate”. This Ordinariate was handed over to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) of the Syro-Malabar Rite.
Msgr. Januarius Palathuruthy CMI was appointed on 12 June 1962 as its first Ecclesiastical Superior with duties, privileges and faculties of an Apostolic Exarch. Since the official documents from Rome did not arrive on time the handing over of the mission territory did not take place on July 3, 1962 as was previously agreed up on. However, on July 3, 1962, on the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, the first Syro-Malabar Liturgy was celebrated in the military chapel at Pulgaon, Wardha. Later, at a simple but impressive ceremony held at the Archbishop's House chapel Nagpur on 15 August 1962, the new ecclesiastical unit of Chanda was formally and cannonically erected and the new Superior, Monsignor Januarius, CMI, was installed as its first Ecclesiastical Superior.
Seven CMI Priests, the pioneer missionaries of Chanda, who reached Ballarpur in 1962, were Frs. late Januarius Palathuruthy (Ordinary designate), late Silas, Joseph Velamparampil, late Zacheus, Joseph Manjaly, late Felician and late Eugene. The CMC Sisters (Thrissur) who came as pioneers were Srs. Rita (+), Teresa (+), Pulcheria and Euphamia (+). They took up the management of the military school at Pulgaon in 1962.
The “Ordinariate” was raised to the status of an Apostolic Exarchate on 29 July 1968 and Msgr. Januarius CMI was made its Apostolic Exarch. On 26 February 1977 by the Papal Bull “Nostra Ipsorum” Pope Paul VI established Chanda as a diocese and Msgr. Januarius CMI was appointed as its first Bishop. He was ordained Bishop at Ballarpur on 03 May 1977. Bishop Januarius CMI retired on 15 May 1990 and Fr. Antony Moozhikuzhy CMI was appointed as the Administrator until Bp.Vijay Anand Nedumpuram CMI took charge on 03 July 1990.
Present Diocese of Chanda comprises the civil districts of Wardha, Chandrapur (Chanda) and Gadchiroli (new district as a result of bifurcation of Chandrapur district in 1982) in Maharashtra State.The diocese of Chanda was bifurcated and the Diocese of Adilabad was formed on July 16, 1999with the civil district of Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh and Fr. Joseph Kunnath CMI was appointed as its first bishop.On 6th Oct. 1999 was his Episcopal ordination at Mandamari and he was installed on the same day.Bp. Ephrem Nariculam became the third bishop of the diocese of Chanda on 24 October 2014.