We are an Apostolic Order founded by St. Dominic Guzman of Spain in the 12th century. The third presence of the Dominicans in India was in the year 1959 when four Friars (Dominican Priests) arrived in Nagpur, Maharastra to take charge of the Diocesan Major Seminary at the invitation of the then Archbishop late Eugene D Souza. Since then there has been a gradual progress and the Vice-Province of India was established on 8th December 1987 and it was raised to the status of a Province on 8th August 1997. Today we have about 100 priests and more than 150 young men in formation.

Our first presence in India was as early as in 1291 when Nicolas of Pistoia, a Dominican of the province of Rome arrived along with the Franciscans in Madras. He deid shortly afterwards and was buried in Mylapore.

The second presence was noted in the year 1568 when the Portuguese Dominicans arrived in Goa and the coastal regions of India.

Padri Dussaiya in Bettiah Mission was taken over by the Dominicans at the invitation of the then Bishop of Bettiah and the present Archbishop of Raipur Rt. Rev. Victor Henry Thakur in 2013 with the main purpose of developing the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and also to take care of the pastoral needs of the parish community which had about 46 Catholic families. The Shrine is visited by a number of devotees of Mother Mary, both Christians as well as others.