The Latin Diocese of Neyyattinkara was canonically established on 14 June 1996 by Pope John Paul II through the papal bull Ad Aptius Provehendum, carved out from the Archdiocese of Trivandrum. Although formally instituted in 1996, the region's Christian roots trace back to the early 17th century, beginning with missionary activity by St. Francis Xavier around 1600 AD and continuing through Jesuit missions in Nemom (1707) and the founding of Amaravila church in 1775. These earlier movements laid the groundwork for a vibrant, faith-rich Catholic community.

Covering approximately 1,497 km2 and including the taluks of Neyyattinkara, Kattakada, and Nedumangad (excluding Padroado zones), the Diocese serves roughly 1.5 million people, of whom over 157,000 are Latin Catholics—about 10.4% of the population. It is organized into 11 deaneries, overseeing 90 parishes, 5 parochial districts, and 179 mission centres across urban and rural settings. The diocesan clergy currently includes 149 priests (108 diocesan, 41 religious), supported by 321 religious sisters and brothers and 49 seminarians.

Leadership rests with Rt. Rev. Dr. Vincent Samuel, the diocese's first and continuous Bishop, consecrated on 1 November 1996 and enthroned on 5 November 1996. In February 2025, Fr. D. Selvarajan (now Coadjutor Bishop Selvarajan Dasan) was appointed to assist and succeed him, ensuring smooth pastoral transition. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Trivandrum, led by Metropolitan Archbishop Thomas J. Netto.

The central place of worship is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Neyyattinkara, and St. Joseph the Worker is the diocesan patron, celebrated on 1 May—a major liturgical and community event. Additionally, the diocese oversees major pilgrimage sites such as Bonacaud and Vellarada Kurishumala, Our Lady of Assumption Church in Vlathankara, St. Sebastian's Forane Church in Balaramapuram, and St. Antony's Kochupalli.

A robust ecclesial structure underpins the Diocese, with a range of boards and commissions managing ecclesial, spiritual, educational, and social functions. Ministries include the boards for Pastoral, Family, Education, Youth, Social Action, Lay Ministry, Clergy/Religious/Vocations, Temporality, School Administration, and Media. Specific commissions at diocesan and Kerala Latin Church levels address areas such as Bible, Liturgy, Catechetics, Vocations, Proclamation, Justice and Peace, Labour, Laity, Ecumenism, Dialogue, Theology, and more.

Among the most active ministries is the Family Apostolate, serving over 75,000 Latin Catholic families (more than 155,000 individuals). It offers marriage preparation, counseling, educational outreach, support for women and children, poverty relief, and campaigns against dowry and alcohol abuse—guided by the credo "Love one another to serve the Church and the Nation. The Neyyattinkara Integral Development Society (NIDS) works at the grassroots level in areas like women's empowerment, socio-economic upliftment, migration issues, linking the diocese with government and NGO partners for sustained social transformation.

Education, another major focus, is promoted by the Diocese through the Board for Education, headed by Rev. Fr. Johny K. Lawrence, with a team managing pastoral centers, school committees, teacher training, and educational resource planning—all aiming to imbue academic institutions with Catholic values. In youth ministry, the Diocese participates in the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM), a statewide Catholic youth organization representing over 300,000 members and connecting the diocese to a larger Catholic youth network.