Though service to the society is the essential nature of social work, yet development is generally seen as a way to improve a community's "well-being" in social, economic, and environmental terms. The initial seeds of Social Apostolate in the Diocese of Belgaum were being sown and initiated by the Jesuits, wherein the Belgaum Diocesan Social Service Society (BDSSS) sprang in the year 1992 and was being established in the year 1997.