Society of Jesus Mary Joseph - Around India

FLAME ACROSS THE OCEAN

The invitation to start our mission in India came from His Grace Archbishop J.Aelen of Madras of which Andhra Pradesh was a part. The then Superior General Sr.Seraphine Pullens accepted the invitation and prepared the Sisters to take up the mission.

The valiant Women – Our 7 Pioneers

The seven Dutch pioneers – Sr.Seaphique Kluten, Sr. Michaeli Schoten, Sr.Elizabeth Helsloot, Sr.Elza van de Helm, Sr.Luibini Debets, Sr.Xaverini Gijsmen and Sr.Stanislaus Terwindt (mission superior) reached Guntur A.P, India on February 24,1904 and were welcomed by Archbishop and his secretary who had improvised a convent in a native house to accommodate the Sisters for a short time as the first mission house in Vetapalem was under construction.

The Seed Grows Up

Although Vetapalem was originally meant to be only a temporary stay, the General Council decided to carry on the work in Guntur. It is here our pioneers started their work keeping the motto of our Founder Fr.M.Wolff, “I want to work like a giant”, learning the languages (Telugu and English) , starting a dispensary and catering to the needs of people with great love, kindness, compassion, concern and care for the glory of God.

The first Founding House – St. Joseph’s Convent, Guntur

On May 1, 1905 the house in Vetapalem was opened. In keeping with the original plan the entire community should have moved to Vetapalem. However hearing of the enthusiasm of the people and the satisfaction the Sisters had from their work in Guntur, the General Council decided that only two of the pioneers and two new-comers would go to Vetapalem. It was unfortunate that chronic malaria made it impossible for the sisters to live there, so on May 11, 1911 the house in Vetapalem was closed down and in the same year St.Mary’s convent Nellore was opened. Again in 2004, in commemoration with the Centenary of the presence of JMJ in India a new community is established in Vetapalem.
The Dutch missionaries excelled in local language and tradition with the help of two native girls, namely, Allam Philomena and Jujigiri Thomasamma, who were called as “Handmaids” and became “Ammagarulu” (Indian Sisters ) later. Inspired by the service and commitment of our Dutch pioneers many local girls sought admission into the Society, thus growing in number the Society launched out into different ministries.

JMJ’s presence in the following dioceses of India:

Bangalore Province

  1. Archdioceses of Bangalore

  2. Archdioceses of Trichur

  3. Archdioceses of Thalassery

  4. Archdioceses of Trivandrum

  5. Dioceses of Nellore

  6. Diocese of Kadapa

  7. Diocese of Cochin

  8. Diocese of Belgaum

  9. Diocese of Mysore

  10. Diocese of Bellary

  11. Diocese of Mangalore

  12. Diocese of Karwar

  13. Diocese of Goa

Guntur Province

  1. Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam,

  2. Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam,

  3. Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam, Madras-Mylapore,

  4. Diocese of Guntur,

  5. Diocese of Pondicherry,

  6. Diocese of Eluru,

  7. Diocese of Vijayawada,

  8. Diocese of Palayamkottai,

  9. Diocese of Srikakulam,

  10. Diocese of Sambalpur,

  11. Diocese of Dindigul,

  12. Diocese of Chengalpet,

  13. Diocese of Trichy

Raipur Province

  1. Archdiocese of Hyderabad,

  2. Diocese of Nalgonda,

  3. Diocese of Delhi,

  4. Diocese of Jamshedpur,

  5. Diocese of Varanasi,

  6. Diocese of Nagpur,

  7. Diocese of  Raipur,

  8. Diocese of Raigarh,

  9. Diocese of Ranchi,

  10. Diocese of Bhagarpur,

  11. Diocese of Bertia

  12.  Diocese of Gorakhpur

Hyderabad Province

  1. Archdiocese of Hyderabad,

  2. Diocese of Kurnool,

  3. Diocese of Nalgonda,

  4. Diocese of Warangal,

  5. Diocese of Sagar (Madhya Pradesh),

  6. Diocese of Jabalpur

  7. Diocese of Bhopal.

We Remember… in

1907 – A native Congregation was started for Indian girls with the approval of the Bishop of Denbosch and in consultation with Archbishop Aelen.
1920 – First Australian missionary Miss Mary Glowrey (Sr.Mary of the Sacred Heart) joined the Society in India.
1923 – Miss Isabel Swamikannu (Sr.Mary Stanislaus Swamikannu), joined the Society.
1927 – Amalgamation of the native congregation of the Society of JMJ.
1932 – The second Australian missionary Miss.Ethel Pitt ( Sr.Veronica of the Holy Face) joined the Society.
1933 – Canonically established Noviciate started in Guntur with Sr.Elzinio Luijken as the first Novice mistress.
1937 – The Society in India branched out to the state of Karnataka.
1947 – The third Australian Missionary Miss Margaret Barrett(Sr.Peter Julian) joined the Society.
1952 – The novitiate is shifted from Guntur to St.Stanislaus Convent, Bangalore.
1962 – India became an independent Province with the leadership of Sr.Ferdinando Klassen (1961 -1969).
1962 – Sr. Stanislaus Swamikannu became the first Indian Sister in the General Council.
1968 – JMJ Sisters set foot at Raigarh in North and spread out to different states later. 1968 – Started mission in Kerala
1969 – Sr. Josepha Rachamalla , the first Indian Sister to be appointed as the Provincial Superior(1969-1981) followed by Sr.Anna Maria Gali (1981-1987).
1987 – Division of the Indian Province into three Provinces :
  • Bangalore – Provincial Superior – Sr. Joanette Mallavarapu (1987 – 1999)
  • Guntur – Provincial superior – Sr. Rosina Antony ( 1987 – 1993)
  • Hyderabad – Provincial superior – Sr. Anna Maria Gali (1987 – 1993)
2009 – Raipur Province Bifurcated from Hyderabad-Raipur – provincial superior – Sr. Rosily Abraham