The Holy Father Pope St. John Paul II, by the Apostolic Brief dated 5th November 1998, created the diocese of Kannur from the diocese of Calicut. On the same day, Rt. Rev. Dr. Varghese Chakkalakal was appointed the first Bishop of the diocese of Kannur and the Bishop elect was consecrated on 7^th February 1999 and he took charge of the diocese on 8th February 1999. 

The new diocese comprises the territory of the south of Chanadragiri River(Kasargod) and the civil district of Kannur,  to the north of Mahe River. 

On 15^th May 2012 Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the Bishop of the Diocese of Calicut and the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Kannur. 

On 1^st February 2014, Holy Father Pope Francis appointed Msgr. Alex Vadakumthala, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Verapoly as the second Bishop of Kannur. On 23^rd March 2014, Msgr. Alex Vadakumthala was consecrated as the Bishop of Kannur. The motto of Bishop Alex is “to witness to His love and compassion”.