Services
- The Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes. Mysore
It is with deep nostalgia that we recall a defining chapter in our history—over a century ago—when, soon after our foundation in 1886, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes began their selfless service at the Maharaja Hospital in Mysore, now known as Krishna Rajendra Hospital (KR Hospital). This noble contribution stands as a shining hallmark in the annals of our congregation’s legacy.
On 6th June 1886, the third group of sisters—Srs. Marie Nemesie, Marie Fulbert, Marie Cesarie, and Germaine Marie—set sail from Marseilles, France, responding wholeheartedly to the call of mission. Their arrival at the Maharaja Hospital on 14th September 1886, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, marked a sacred and historic beginning of our healing ministry in India.
Nearly a century later, in 1982, the Indian Province was bifurcated into two regions for more effective functioning. St. Joseph’s Convent, Mysore, was chosen as the Regional House and was named Stuti Ramya. The pioneering community consisted of Sr. Celestine D., the Regional Superior, and Sr. Immaculate D’Souza, later joined by Srs. Monica Varghese and Magdalene Gomes.
In 1986, Sr. Assunta Alvares was appointed Regional Superior of Mysore, and in the same year the Region was elevated to the status of a Province. Sr. Assunta Alvares was then entrusted with the responsibility of serving as the first Provincial of the newly formed Mysore Province.
Presence And
Mission Of The
SJT In India
Under the guidance of Bishop Coadou, our sisters were entrusted with the Ministry of Education. The first institution to be established was St. Francis Xavier School in the year 1889. The pioneers worked tirelessly for 100 years to establish their foundations in South India. To mark the centenary, in 1982, the Province of Bangalore spread its branches to form the Region of Mysore and the North Mission, and simultaneously sent missionaries to Kenya.
The Region of Mysore further spread its communities among five States and other countries, including Austria and Uganda, within twenty-five years of its establishment. The Region of the North Mission, Jeevan Maithri, started new foundations in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, mostly among the tribal communities of Brigia, Munda, Gond, Kharia, Santhal, and the Oraon. The total strength of the SJT sisters in India is 475 in 71 communities in the nine states of India.
The Province of Bangalore opened new foundations in Kenya. 26 sisters from the Province went as missionaries to Kenya, and with vocations from Kenya, within a span of 25 years, a new Kenyan Province was established, consisting of 75 Kenyan sisters in 17 communities.
SJT Presence In
India And Its
Ministries
The ministries undertaken by the sisters in Education, Health Care, Community Centers, Social Action, and Pastoral Service have been mission-based. Over the years, they have moved from conventional institutions to need-based ministries.