Puttur gets its name from the famous Mahalingeshwar temple tank where pearls were supposed to be found, and it was called Muthur, a place of pearls.  Finally it came to be known as Puttur.  Puttur is the Mother church of Kadaba, Kokkada, Uppinangady, Sampige, Sullia, Vittal, Panja, Borimar and Nidpalli parishes.  In the old records it is mentioned that the parish priests of Virajpet served Puttur from 1789 to 1800 during the invasion of Coorg by Tipu Sultan.  In 1830, the  first chapel was built.  A decent church replaced this chapel in 1854.  Later in 1914,  Fr Piedade S. D’Souza demolished the old church and raised the present stately structure.  He also built churches at Kokkada and Vittal.  Rev. Fr Sebastian Noronha bought extensive lands for the church and started two elementary schools which disappeared when he left the parish.

r R.D. Sequeira raised a belfry and a row of shops in 1933.  This belfry collapsed in 1952.  Fr Sequeira also built chapels at Sampaje, Sullia and Nidpalli.  Fr Anthnoy Patrao (later Monsignor) succeeded Fr Sequeira in October 1939.  He built the new belfry in 1954 and also a presbytery.  Fr Valerian D’Souza constructed the new presbytery in 1984.

Fr Anthony Patrao built the Patrao Hospital, presently run by the Sisters of Tarbes.  Fr Anthony Patrao  started Mai De Deus Primary School on December 12, 1939, St Victor’s Girls’ High School, in June 1942, St Philomenas Boys’ High School at Darbe in 1949 and St Philomena’s College in 1958.   In 1970 St Victor’s  English Medium School building was constructed.