Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church has its origin in Rajiv Nagar since April 12th 1998. Our Baptism records show that Rev. Fr. Benedict has baptized one child at Nava Jeevan Niketan (Missionaries of Charities) on 12th of April 1998. This was the substation of St Joseph’s Cathedral Mysore. The Priest at St Joseph’s Cathedral was taking care of the pastoral needs of the faithful at Missionaries of Charity, Udaiyagiri. The Late Bishop Most Rev. Dr Joseph Roy the Bishop of Mysore had a dream of creating a new parish at Rajiv Nagar, Mysore which was fast growing town. So the Bishop had appointed Rev. Fr. Benedict of the Diocese of Mysore as priest in charge of the substation. The priest was coming to Rajiv Nagar to meet the needs of the faithful on a regular basis at Missionaries of Charity Brothers. Our SVD confreres at Vidya Niketan, Bannimantap were regularly coming to MC Brothers to celebrate the Holy Mass for the inmates as well as for the local people. Then the Rector of Vidya Niketan Rev. Fr Scaria SVD came to know that the Bishop of Mysore was looking for some congregation to take up the new parish that would be created very soon. So the rector thought for a while that would be a greater opportunity for our confreres and the students of Vidya Niketan to have pastoral exposure. First time this proposal was discussed in the house council of Vidya Niketan in the Month of July 2003. The community discussed the various advantages and disadvantages of taking up the parish in the vicinities of Vidya Niketan and sends this proposal with full consent of the council to the Provincial administration of the INM Province. The Provincial council meeting held at Soverdia House, Andheri on August 29-30, 2003, discussed the proposal of the House council of Vidya Niketan, Mysore to request His Lordship, Most Rev Dr. Thomas Anthony Vazhapilly the Bishop of Mysore to entrust to our pastoral care the new parish that would be created at Rajiv Nagar, Myosre. The members of both the councils were of the opinion that a parish in Mysore would provide better opportunities for our confreres and students to get involved in the life situation of people. In response to this new project, the provincial superior Rev Fr. Gregory Pinto, SVD informed the Superior General Very Rev Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD, (ref. G/199/03 dated 06-09-2003) that he and his council were of the opinion that if there was no financial obligation to the province from the Parish, could take up the new parish to render our service. Very Rev. Fr. Antonio Pernia, SVD the Superior General wrote in response to the new initiatives in INM province, “We have no objection to your plan to assume a parish near Vidya Niketan in Mysore, since it is a matter within the competence of your provincial council to decide on. Make sure, however, that it does not become a financial burden to the province.” Ref. INM/0a/032397 dated 23-09-2003. The positive message was communicated to the bishop of Mysore that Society of the Divine Word would take up the new Parish at Rajiv Nagar with certain terms and conditions that the Society would give the personnel to render our service to the diocese. And we would not look into the need of constructing a church and Presbytery. Though initially the Bishop of Mysore wanted the Society to put up the New Church and the Presbytery, he changed his mind and said “The parish will start to function in temporary structure to be erected with the help of the parishioners. The diocese will later put up the necessary constructions for a church and priest- quarters when the funds are available with the help of the parishioners and funding agencies.” An agreement between the diocese of Mysore represented by Most Rev. Dr. Thomas the bishop of Mysore and the Society of the Divine Word, Mumbai Province, India represented by Rev. Fr Gregory Pinto, SVD, the provincial Superior INM province was signed with regard to the new parish at Rajiv Nagar and made a contract for a period of fifteen years on August 1, 2004. It was canonically erected as Parish in the year 2004 and named after Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. This parish was bifurcated from St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Mysore with 180 catholic families from Udaiyagiri, Shantinagar and Rajiv Nagar. The languages that are spoken by the people are English, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. Now Our Parish has grown and it has more than 260 catholic families. Under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Scaria, SVD, and Rev. Fr. Francis Fernandes SVD, this parish became a reality for the Society of the Divine Word. They started to work towards the construction of a temporary structure in the diocesan land at Rajiv Nagar with the help of the Parishioners and benefactors. They also tried to build up the community at Rajiv Nagar. After canonical erection of the parish “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church”, the rector of Vidya Niketan Rev. Fr. Scaria Pannackal SVD became the First Parish Priest as per the diocesan records. With the cooperation of the community at Vidya Niketan and parishioners, Rev. Fr. Scaria SVD and Fr. Francis Fernandes SVD put up a temporary structure for the church and small shelter for the confreres to live in. The Parish Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church was blessed by Most Rev. Dr. Thomas, the Bishop of Mysore and inaugurated by Rev. Fr. Gregory Pinto, SVD the provincial superior of INM province on 05.06.2005 in the presence of august gathering. And on that day Rev Fr. Bernard Rodriguez SVD was installed as new parish priest at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church, Mysore.