The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Anne of Tiruchirapalli originated in the 19th century, when child marriages — leading to early widowhood — were rampant even among Catholics. Widows were treated as social outcasts and subjected to inhuman treatment. Our Foundress, Rev. Mother Annammal, was born in 1836 at Varaganeri, Palakarai, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Cholera devastated society and widowed many young girls, including our Foundress. Since remarriage was not permissible in society, they were considered a burden and treated like slaves by their own families.

Our Foundress heard the divine call to bring succour to the widows. She tenaciously wandered about begging for the sick and the needy, educating children and praying with the Sakkiliar community. Inspired by her service, many young widows were drawn towards her mission of service to the disadvantaged sections of society.

The considerable number emboldened her to approach the Bishop of Tiruchirapalli, His Excellency Bishop Alexis Canoz S.J., to start a community for the widows. Due to financial constraints, the permission was initially denied. On her assurance to bear the financial burden herself, the Bishop granted permission. The vibrant and noble thoughts of this great woman sowed the first seed for the Vocation of St. Anne's Congregation — to liberate Indian widows from the shackles of inhuman social conventions and empower them to carry out the mission of service to the unreached and excluded.

Simplicity in Life and Service to the Poor — Charism of Rev. Mother Annammal

Rev. Mother Annammal trusted divine providence and founded the first community with nine widows on 2nd February, 1858. An unprecedented reformation was wrought by the power of the human spirit enshrined in the heart of the foundress. Her ministry among the poor, the sick, and the downtrodden showed her Other-Centeredness. She discovered God in the poorest and suffering multitude.

Her faith in God inspired the sisters to follow her footsteps in their manifold services during the last 155 years. With the support of local churches, their ministry encompassed several dioceses in India and other parts of the world. The members of the Congregation strive to live up to the charism of the foundress and commit themselves to the cause of the socially marginalised — with a special thrust on the uplift of differently abled persons.