The mission of Dhemaji was started by Fr. Varkey Valiedath in 1979. In the initial years, he stayed in a thatched shed. There was a lot of opposition from the local people. The people were prejudiced against the missionaries and they were even unwilling to give the land. Finally, he managed to secure a plot of land in the town itself but had to struggle much to get a road to the plot of land he purchased. Today, St Francis de Sales Church and School stand at the heart of Dhemaji town, by the side of the station road behind the district commissioners’ office. Fr. Mathew Kavithazha was appointed assistant to Fr. Varkey in 1980. In 1981 the parish of Dhemaji was bifurcated and the Gogamukh mission was created and all villages with most of the Catholic communities of Adivasis and Boros fell under Gogamukh parish. As Fr. Mathew Kavithazha moved to Gogamukh which was already a sub-station of Dhemaji with a school and a vocational training centre, Fr. Joseph Kizhakeveedu joined Fr. Varkey in the task of establishing the mission. In 1986 Feb. Fr. Varkey was transferred from the centre and Fr. George Kunnel took charge of the centre. A beautiful church was constructed and the foundation for the hostel for the boys was laid during his time.

The parishioners of Dhemaji mission belong to different communities. At present there are two Mishing villages, one Santhal village, one tea garden, where all the faithful are Adivasis, and one each Assamese and Bodo villages in the township. There are a total of 550 Catholics from 104 families. Since December 7, 2005, the parish caters to four Adi villages of Arunachal Pradesh and which geographically belong to the Likabali parish of the diocese of Itanagar. The Arunachal communities were nurtured by all the priests who worked in the parish from the very beginning.

The contributions of Philip Tamuli (Mama) and his family and Francis Bhuyan are remembered for the long years of catechetical service to the Catholic Church. In fact, John Trya of Borajan was the first Adi catholic of Dhemaji parish who brought Philip Tamuli and family to Catholic faith. Mr Francis Mili was baptized by Bro Prem Bhai and began to serve as catechist from 1991 to the Mishing community of Naharbari and Panchali Villages. After the year 2000, the Santhals of Baleswari village were contacted and baptized, but there was already a community of Bodos in the same village who later on migrated to Dekiajuli.

There is also a village school at Sisimukh started by Fr. Varkey Valiedathu way back in 1984. It is situated some 20 km away from Dhemaji town towards the northern side of the river Brahmaputra. It is being looked after by Dhemaji parish. In 1986-87 Fr. Job Karikkampally was a resident priest in this mission station. The centre was well established but constant floods have washed away the road to this place. The change of the course of the river Brahmaputra makes the people of the area to leave the place and move to the uplands of the town. But there still exists a pucca school, a hostel and resident building for the staff.

It is a centre that belongs to the diocese of Tezpur and looked after by the Missionaries of Francis de Sales and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart Congregation. From its very inception the predominant work of the centre has been education.

Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SH)

In 1990, sisters belonging to the Sacred Heart Congregation (Amala Province) joined the mission. Initially two sisters were engaged in pastoral ministry and two taught in the school. The pioneers were SrsLiziaNeeranakunnel, (late) Ranita Poonolil and Roselit Jose. Later, all four were engaged in education ministry. A convent cum girls’ hostel was built up in 1990 and later in 2000 a separate convent was built. They do undertake social work activities under ‘S.H. Amaljyoti’ of the Province.