St. Joseph's of Tarbes Worldwide

- The Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes. Mysore

Founded in 1843 in the Diocese of Tarbes – Lourdes, France It was in the spontaneous outflow of a source: Divine grace took possession of the heart of six young peasant girls at Cantaous in France and sowed in them the desire for a life consecrated to God.

Founded in 1843 in the Diocese of Tarbes – Lourdes, France

It began with the spontaneous outflow of a source: Divine grace took possession of the hearts of six young peasant girls at Cantaous in France and sowed in them the desire for a life consecrated to God. Under the direction of Fr. Bazerque, the Parish Priest, the girls formed the first community of the Sisters of St. Joseph on 14th August 1843, the eve of the Assumption of Our Lady. Their motto was “GOD ALONE.”

The grain of mustard seed sown in Cantaous soon grew into a big tree. The growth in number and quality was almost immediate. From six sisters in 1843, the number rose to eight hundred in 1888. In 1889, the Congregation had one hundred and forty houses. This prosperity cost them dearly: it was acquired at the price of incessant difficulties and crucifying trials, which are the seal of God.

“Go into the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16: 15). Our Foundresses understood very early that this experience of God, this sharing of His love in fraternal community, had to be proclaimed to the world through generous and disinterested service to those in need of their help. From its very beginnings, the Congregation engaged itself in education, care of the sick, and countless humble services.

In 1881, at the request of Fr. Maury, the director of the Society of the Foreign Missions in Paris, five sisters were sent to India. They were Sr. Ansleme, Sr. Marie de l’Assomption, Sr. Aurelien, Sr. Gervasie, and Sr. Marie Flavie.

On April 13th, 1882, the pioneers to India left the Mother House. They arrived in Pondicherry on May 11th, 1882, and in Bangalore on May 13th. On May 31st, 1882, the five sisters cheerfully set to work at the Bowring Hospital. Though the sisters could alleviate the physical pain of the patients, they were powerless to comfort them in their spiritual distress due to their language handicap. None of them knew English, let alone any local language. The language they all knew was the language of love, which they communicated through example and devotedness.

Later, the sisters were given charge of the kitchen and the hospital linen. The sisters looked after this work most efficiently and devotedly. Serving meals and distributing linen every day to over five hundred patients enabled them to keep in close touch with the sick.

On June 3rd, 1889, St. Francis Xavier School for European and Eurasian girls was established. On August 21st, 1899, a school for Indian children was established. It was named Rajamma Thamboochetty School after the name of its benefactress.

The Charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes is: “Rooted in the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are called together, to be for God and to be for others, to live and build communion in our communities and in the world.”

Today, we are 480 sisters in India in two Provinces and one Region – Province of Bangalore, Province of Mysore, and Region of Jeevan Maithri.

In the Province of Bangalore, we have 216 sisters.

In the Province of Mysore, we have 211 sisters.

In the Region of Jeevan Maithri, which is under the Province of Bangalore, there are 64 sisters.

We are engaged in Education, Medical, Social, and Pastoral Work.

The Province of Mysore started a foundation in Austria in 1999. The request for a religious community was made to Sr. Mercy Jacob, Provincial, by a Franciscan priest, Fr. Michael Schlatger from Frauenkirchen, Burgenland, Austria. He wrote to the Provincial saying, “Our village is really sad that 25 years ago the religious sisters were taken away, and so the women and children lost their Catholic friends.” He offered a wing of the Franciscan Monastery for a convent. On June 15th, 1999, the community of five sisters was inaugurated.

The Austria Sector of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes (SJT) was founded on 14th June 1999 in Frauenkirchen, nestled in the picturesque region of Burgenland.

The initial vision for starting this foundation was to support the establishment of a mission in Uganda through financial assistance.

The pioneering Sisters—Sr. James D’Souza, Sr. Marceline Ferrao, Sr. Lily E. D’Souza, and Sr. Jayarani Chinnaprakash—arrived in Frauenkirchen on 11th June, having made essential preparations to embark on the mission. Guided by the charism of Communion, they laid the foundation for a mission that has since grown steadily and borne much fruit within the Diocese of Eisenstadt.

Today, the Austria Sector is vibrant and dynamic, with 10 Sisters faithfully living out the charism and mission of Communion across three communities:

  • Frauenkirchen – Established on 14th June 1999, this was the first SJT presence in Austria. It remains a strong center of prayer, service, and witness through the care of the sick and elderly, as well as pastoral care.
  • Eisenstadt – Founded on 18th October 2007, this second community broadens our apostolic reach, particularly in the field of health care.
  • Güssing – The youngest community, inaugurated on 14th March 2024, deepens our commitment to communion and compassionate service, especially in health care and pastoral ministry.

Each of these communities embodies the SJT spirit, witnessing to Communion through a variety of apostolates, including:

  • Health Care
  • Care of the Physically and Mentally Challenged
  • Pastoral Care
  • Faith Education
  • Social Outreach: Responding to emerging needs, such as assisting migrants and supporting families in crisis

The Sector headquarters is located in Frauenkirchen, at Kirchenplatz 2, A-7132.

With hearts full of gratitude, the Sector celebrated 25 years of SJT presence in Austria—a journey marked by deep faith, loving service, and communion with the people we are privileged to serve.

Lay Associates – Sharing in Our Mission: Since 2017, lay women have been welcomed as SJT Lay Associates, joining us in prayer, ministry, and in living out our charism of Communion in their daily lives. Today, we are blessed with 25 Lay Associates, who form a cherished and committed part of our extended SJT family.

Together, Sisters and Lay Associates continue to be signs of hope, communion, and compassion at the heart of the Church and society.

The Sisters of the Sector rejoice in witnessing the vibrant growth of the SJT mission in Uganda, which began in 2002 with the support of our Sector. It has now blossomed into seven thriving communities. We give praise to God, the source and sustained of all Mission, who continues His work in and through the SJT family.

Our first community in Uganda was started in Nakseke in 2002. Today, there are 5 communities. The first batch of Ugandan Novices, five of them, were professed in 2013. The sisters are engaged in teaching, medical and pastoral work, development of women, etc.

In response to the invitation from the order of Camillus Fathers serving in USA, We ventured in to this mission in the year 2024, 31st January. It was to serve at Life Plan Community (Senior Care programme) at West Wisconsin Ave, Wauwatosa, USA and also to assist in the Pastoral work of the Mother of Perpetual Help Parish at West Allis, Wisconsin.