The First Fathers in the area were the Jesuits from Pondicherry in 1700. By 1736 many Telugus had joyfully accepted baptism. After the Jesuit withdrawal in 1773 the people were left without priests for 50 years until the priest of the Paris Foreign Missionary Society came. Though few in number these gallant Fathers kept the faith alive so that the northern area of the Carnatic Mission was erected into Vicariate Apostolic and entrusted to the secular Irish Fathers (Maynooth and All Hallows). To aid these fathers, priests of St. Joseph's Society Mill Hill, London came in 1875 and began working among the Telugus.

The Diocese of Nellore was erected by virtue of the Papal Bull "Ad majus religionis incrementum" dated July 3, 1928; however the communication was sent on November 15, 1928 mentioning that the decree of erection will take effect on November 26, 1928, comprising the civil districts of Nellore, Ananthapur, Chitoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool and Guntur, and Bp Bouter became the First Bishop of the new diocese.

In 1940 the civil district of Guntur became a Diocese entrusted to the secular clergy. In August 1959 the taluks of Allur and Adoni, formerly part of the Diocese of Bellary, were added to the Diocese of Nellore. In 1967, the Diocese of Kurnool was formed out of Nellore with the districts of Kurnool and Ananthapur. In 1976 the taluks of Chitoor and Palmaner from the Diocese of Vellore were added to the Diocese of Nellore. In 1977 the Diocese of Cuddapah was carved out of Nellore with the Districts of Cuddapah and Chitoor. At the time the taluks of Giddalur and Markapur of the Diocese of Kurnool and the taluks of Ongole and Chirala were added to the Diocese of Nellore. Today the Diocese of Nellore consists of the district of Nellore and the district of Prakasam except Adoni taluk.

Name	Designation	Period
Most Rev. P C Balaswamy	Bishop	1974-2007
Most Rev. Thumma Showry	Bishop	1970-1973
Most Rev. William Bouter, MHM	Bishop	1929-1970