[2] Before and during the American Revolutionary War, the Catholics in all of the British colonies in North America were under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of the London District in England.

[4] Pope Pius VI erected the Prefecture Apostolic of the United States in 1784, encompassing the entire nation.

During Gartland's tenure, the Catholic population in the diocese doubled; more priests were added, including recruits from Ireland.

During the American Civil War, Vérot condemned the looting of the Catholic church at Amelia Island, Florida, by Union Army troops.

[9] After the war, Vérot published a pastoral letter urging Catholics in the diocese to "put away all prejudice ...against their former servants".

In addition to erecting several churches, schools, orphanages, and hospitals, he opened a men's college at Macon, Georgia, introduced the Jesuits and Benedictines to the diocese, and established a diocesan newspaper, The Southern Cross, in 1875.

During his tenure, Keiley completed the restoration of Cathedral of St. John the Baptist started by Becker; he dedicated the new edifice in October 1900.

Kelley condemned U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt for inviting the African-American educator Booker T. Washington to the White House.

[14] Keiley opposed an initiative to set up a seminary for African-Americans in the diocese, saying:"In America no black man should be ordained.

[16] In 1907, Keiley invited the Society of Missionaries of Africa to enter the diocese and build churches and schools for African-Americans.

[17] After Keiley resigned due to poor health in 1922, Pope Pius XI appointed Reverend Michael Keyes of the Marist Brothers to be the new bishop of Savannah.

On July 11, 1934, Keyes asked parishioners in his diocese to sign a pledge from the Legion of Decency to protest "...vile and unwholesome motion pictures.

[19] The cathedral was built on the former site of Ku Klux Klan gatherings, and O'Hara even invited Imperial Wizard Hiram Evans to the dedication.

[21] O'Hara was considered a leader in church efforts to improve race relations,[22] launching a seven-point social and racial program in the 1930s, calling for aid to African American children and heightened awareness of rural issues.

[6] With the increased Catholic population in northern Georgia, Pope Pius XII on July 2, 1956, erected the Diocese of Atlanta.

O'Hara resigned as bishop of Savannah in 1959 to serve full time as a papal diplomat and John XXIII replaced him with McDonough.

He signed the "Pentecost Statement" of the bishops of the Atlanta Province, condemning racial discrimination as contrary to Christian principles.

To replace him, Pope Benedict XVI named Reverend Gregory Hartmayer of the Conventual Franciscans to be the new bishop of Savannah.

In May 2022, Parkes contacted the Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments requesting permission to continue the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Savannah.

[27] [28] In 2004, the Diocese of Savannah reported that it had paid a total of $50,000 to 12 people who accused six diocesan priests of sexually abusing them.

In 2009, the diocese agreed to a $4.24 million lawsuit settlement with Allan Ranta, another victim of sexual abuse by Brown.

Bishop Boland released this statement:I am sorry for all the pain and suffering experienced by Mr. Ranta and my prayers go out not only to him, but to all victims of child sexual abuse that each may find the healing they seek.

[31] On November 12, 2018, Bishop Hartmayer released a list of 16 clergy from the diocese with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors.