Pre-history
In the year 1632 a team of six French Capuchins arrived at Pondicherry (now called Puducherry) as an extension of the Capuchin Mission in Syria. On March 1, 1639 another batch of four French Capuchins got themselves settled down in Surat. In the year 1642 a Capuchin friar, called Br. Ephrem moved to Chennai from Surat. Bros Joseph of Ascoli and Francis Mary of Tours working in Tibet were forced to leave from there and stayed for some time in Nepal, but again they were flushed out of the place and they proceeded to India and dispersed themselves in Bettiah, Patna and Chandernagore in north India in 1769. From there the Mission began to thrive prosperously and spread to other areas including Agra. In 1845 the Mission of Agra was divided into two vicariates, that of Agra and Patna and in the same year Br. Anastasius Hartmann was made the first Apostolic Vicar of Patna. He also had to take up the administration of Mumbai Vicariate.

Implantation of the Order
Along with the missionary work the friars also started to establish the Order in Indian soil. In order to realize this dream, a novitiate was erected in Mussoorie (U.P.) in 1880. Later, on 26th February 1922 a Novitiate was opened in Sardhana (U.P.) and in the same year Br. John Baptist Tirannazi of Florence, of the province of Tuscany, Italy, the then Superior Regular of the Agra Mission, was appointed as the first Commissary General by the Most Rev. Br. Joseph Antony of Persiceto Minister General of the Order. This is the beginning of the full-fledged Indian Capuchin Province.

Indian Custody
On 21st February 1927 the Indian branch of the Order became a Custody (Commissariate) of the Province of Paris. Novitiate was shifted from Sardhana to Monte Mariano, Farangipet in the diocese of Mangalore. A study house was set up at Kollam, Kerala, and most of the students who had not yet finished their studies abroad, were brought back to continue their studies there. Six year later 21st October 1938 the Indian unit of the Order was raised to the status of a General Commissariate and Br. Guido of Pontieux of the Province of Paris was the Commissary General. Assisi Friary at Aluva was blessed on 28th April 1937 in the archdiocese of Ernakulam. After five years of planting, landscaping, and furnishing, it was freely given over to the Cloistered Poor Clares, Colletines, who had to flee from Burma during World War II.

The status of Provincial Commissariate
The Indina unit was declared Provincial Commissariate with Br. Richard of Durand of Calvary Province (U.S.A.) as the Commissary Provincial on 26th May 1951. And on 6th June 1954 Rome appointed Br. Cyril Andrade of Kallianpur as the first Indian Provincial Commissary, to lead the unit of the Order in India. The Agra Archdiocese was entrusted to the Province and Br. Dominic Athaide was consecrated the first Indian Capuchin Archbishop. In 1957 Rome appointed Br. Cassian as the Provincial Commissary of the Order in India and he remained in that role until 1963.

A Full-fledged Province
The Provincial Commissary became an autonomous Indian Province on 13th April 1963 and was named the Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Br. Berchmans Puthuparambil was appointed as the first Provincial Minister. In the year 1966 the first elective Provincial Chapter was held and Br. Berchmans Puthuparambil was elected as the Provincial Minister. In the next election Chapter held on 30th April 1969 Br. Jacob Acharuparambil was elected as the Provincial Minister of the province. On 6th December 1971 Br. Symphorian Keeprath was appointed Bishop of Jalandhar.

Division of the Indian Province
Rev. Br Paschal Rywalski, Minister General and Rev. Br. Alosysius Ward, Definitor General, conducted a visitation of the Indian Province in view of division and by a decree dated 4th April 1972 the province was divided into four different units, decided by the General Definitory, and promulgated by the then Provincial, Br. Jacob Acharuparambil. The four independent jurisdictions were: St. Joseph Province (Kerala), Holy Trinity Province (Karnataka, Goa & Maharashtra), Amala Annai Province (Tamil Nadu) and St. Francis vice Province (Kerala). The installation of the new Provincial superiors, (appointed by Rome) at the ordinary Chapter at Kotagiri took place on 17th May 1972 by Rev Br Aloysius Ward, Definitor General. Br. Hippolytus Kunnumkal was the first provincial Minister of St. Joseph Province (Kerala). In course of time further divisions of these provinces and new jurisdictions came into existence.

Further growth of the Provinces in Kerala
The first Election Chapter of St. Joseph Province (Kerala) was held at Assisi Ashram, Bharananganam in which Br. Hippolytus Kunnumkal was elected Provincial on 23rd February 1975. At the end of his triennium, he was appointed on 28 December 1978 Prefect Apostolic of Jammu-Kashmir and on 5th April 1986 as Bishop of Jammu-Srinagar. The second Election Chapter held at Assisi Ashram, Bharananmganam from April 9 to 15, 1978, elected Br. Claude Ollukaren as the Provincial Minister. However, on 19th October 1979 he was nominated Definitor General in the place of Br. Jacob Acharuparambil who was appointed the Bishop of Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile Br. Gerard Kallidukil became the Vicar Provincial of St. Joseph Province for the remaining term. In the 3rd Election Chapter held at Assisi, from 20 to 28 April 1981 Br. Raymond Kavumpuram was elected Minister Provincial. In the fourth Election Chapter of the Province held from May 7 to 11, 1984 Br. Stephen Jairaj Koonthamattam was elected Provincial Minister. In the fifth Election chapter of the province Br. Stephen Jairaj Koonthamattam was re-elected Provincial Minister on April 27, 1987.

St. Joseph Province becomes a Province of Syro-Malabar Rite.
The Holy See by a special decree, on 25 March 1988 declared St. Joseph Province as belonging officially to Syro-Malabar Rite. Formal inauguration of the province as a unit of the Order in Syro-Malabar Rite took place on 30th May 1988 during a Friars’ Gathering at St. Francis Theological College, Kottayam. In the 6th Election Chapter on 14th March 1990 Br. Thomas Jacob Thekkumkattil was elected Provincial Minister. He was re-elected once again as Provincial on 26 April 1993 in the 7th Election Chapter.