The Capuchins who had been working in Jammu & Kashmir alongside the Mill Hill Missionaries from 1973 onwards, were instrumental in building up the Church in Jammu & Kashmir into a full-fledged diocese. The Ecclesiastical jurisdiction in J&K, then the “Prefecture Apostolic of J&K”, administered by the Mill Hill Missionaries from 1904, was entrusted in 1978 to the Capuchins of St. Joseph Province and Msgr. Hippolytus Kunnunkal OFM Cap. was appointed the prefect Apostolic. In 1986, the prefecture was raised into a diocese. At this time it was decided that the Capuchins should have a house of their own in the diocese.

In collaboration with the diocese, a suitable plot of land was bought at Kunjwani in Jammu and a friary was constructed. As the area around the new friary did not provide ample scope for socio-pastoral ministry, the friars requested the Bishop to assign them a separate territory within the Jammu area. Accordingly, the Hiranagar Parish comprising of the Hiranagar Tehsil in Kathua district and parts of Samba Tehsil in Jammu district, was given as the area of work to the Capuchins in North-India. 

An agreement between the Bishop of Jammu-Srinagar Rt. Rev. Dr. Hippolytus Kunnunkal and the Provincial Minister of St. Joseph’s Province, Kerala, Br. Thomas Jacob, was signed, according to which the landed property and institutions of the parish were handed over in perpetuum to the Krist Jyoti Mission in exchange for the Capuchin Ashram and its assets at Kunjuwani, Jammu. Brs. Peter Celestine, Jeremias and Jacob Kallely took charge of Hiranagar on November 15, 1995.

A new friary was constructed in Hiranagar in the year 1997 under the supervision of Br. Jeremias. The church and presbytery in Hiranagar were built in 1985. It is to be noted that Br. Augustine Nattunilam OFM Cap., was the first resident priest and he, following the direction of Bp. Hippolytus started a Hindi Medium School. 

As the local people were asking for an English Medium school, the existing school was converted to an English Medium High School affiliated to J&K Board of School Education. The school was upgraded to higher senior secondary in the year 2006.

Holy Family Sisters of Shanti Dhara Province, Delhi, are very much involved in the school. One of them was always the viceprincipal, and one in-charge of the Kindergarten section. Apart from serving in the school, they have a well organised family apostolate, which they have practiced for many years.