375 Years of Service: Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy Celebrate Global Legacy

Visakhapatnam, September 30, 2025 – The Sisters of St. Joseph are marking 375 years of service with a Jubilee that celebrates their global legacy of faith in action. Founded in seventeenth-century France, the Congregation has grown into a worldwide network dedicated to education, healthcare, social outreach, and care for the most vulnerable.

The Congregation traces its roots to Jesuit missionary Fr. Jean Pierre Médaille (1610–1669), whose vision inspired women to serve the poor outside cloister walls. In 1650, Bishop Henry de Maupas formally recognised this “Little Design” as the Sisters of St. Joseph. Despite persecution during the French Revolution, when several sisters were imprisoned or executed, the Congregation was re-established in Lyon in 1808 by Mother St. John Fontbonne, a survivor of the guillotine. Her leadership shaped the foundations for nearly thirty Congregations that exist worldwide today.

One of these branches, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy, founded in 1833, embodies the Charism of “Total and Double Union” – a profound union with God and with neighbour, rooted in the Eucharist. Their missionary zeal has carried them from France to India, England, Switzerland, Algeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Congo, and Kenya.

In India, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy are present in two provinces, Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar. To commemorate the Jubilee, the Visakhapatnam Province launched an ecological initiative on 11 September 2025 that set a world record: students and staff from 16 institutions created the highest number of seed balls in one hour, certified by World Record Union. The Province also planted 375 trees, symbolising each year of the Congregation’s history, and extended social outreach through feeding programmes and scholarships for disadvantaged students.

“These Jubilee works embody our Charism and demonstrate its enduring relevance,” said Sr. Nirmala of the Visakhapatnam Province. “As we celebrate this milestone, our commitment to compassionate service and care for creation continues to guide us into the future.”

Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar Province will include the poor and the newly formed Lay Apostles as honoured guests in their celebrations and build homes for the homeless by giving up some of their comforts. They serve in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and the North East. The sisters work among those on the margins, providing education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, and skill development in remote villages. Their presence brings hope, restores dignity, and fosters self-reliance for “the dear neighbour” they are called to serve.

From turbulent seventeenth-century France to contemporary missions across continents, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy remain steadfast in their vocation. Three hundred and seventy-five years on, their witness to faith and compassionate service continues to inspire and transform lives around the world.

By Sr. Nirmala

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