History of our Congregation

The Society of the Sisters of St. Anne was founded in 1874 at Kilacheri, a village about 40 km from Chennai by Thatipathri Gnanamma. She was an young widow hailing from Phirangipuram, Guntur District. Her pioneering effort enjoyed the edifying support of Rev. Fr. Arokianadar - a monk of the Monastery of Mary Immaculate and Parish Priest of Kilacheri. God chose to work wonders through this obscure, uneducated woman, exemplifying what St. Paul said, "those whom the world rejects as weak, had God chosen to confound the strong" (I Cor I : 27).

The crying need of those times was education. Therefore, education of children and particularly young girls was the main apostolate of the Congregation. Today we have entered other fields such as Medical, Social Work and Social Action etc., to meet the needs of the "Church in India Today". We have opened health centres, homes for children, widows, handicapped arid-the aged and social action centres in remote villages and tribal areas to work for their liberation.

The journey which Gnanamma started in 1874 with just two young professed has been sustained by her committed daughters. With the same commitment and excellence, they march ahead now with greater vigour and they reach out to the poor. These they do by reading the signs of the times. In this mission of the sisters of St Anne, the Arogyanilayam Hospital  has an important role.