The marvellous beginning
                         The origin of our Congregation can be traced back to the 19th century in the State of Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded by a lay woman namely Thatipathri Gnanamma. She was an ordinary woman who hailed from Phirangipuram, a simple village in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, South India. She was given in Marriage to Innaiah, the catechist of Phirangipuram. This pious couple was blessed with five sons. Unfortunately, she became a widow at the early age of 37 years. Left all alone with five boys to bring up, she put her entire trust in Divine Providence and raised her children strong in Christian faith, Four of her sons joined religious life and one settled in family life. Freed from all family commitments, Gnanamma moved to a village called Kilacheri, 40 km from Chennai, and settled down there, although she had no acquaintances there. Thus the infinite wisdom of God led her step to the cradle, Bethlehem of the new Congregation. During her time, the education of young girls was an unimaginable dream. Gnanamma was constantly in touch with the illiterate girls in the locality and identified education as a principal means of empowering them. Fr. Arokianadar, Parish Priest of Kilacheri, helped her to reflect effectively and to go ahead with starting a school for girls in Kilacheri. To realize this vision, she started a school exclusively for girls in 1863. Inspired by the committed service to the cause of women, two young girls requested Mother Gnanamma to let them help her in her great work and express their desire to do so as nuns. Mother Gnanamma, who was anxious to ensure that her work should continue, accepted their request and sent them to be formed at St. Anne’s Novitiate of the Good Shepherd Congregation in Bellary. After their initial the formation, on 04.10.1874, these two became sisters, and thus 19 a religious Congregation for women known as “Sisters of St. Anne – Chennai” was born. Our Congregation was founded out of the need for empowering the women through education. Therefore, it was the mission that demanded the formation of our congregation. Our foundress Mother Gnanamma is raised to the Altar as “Servant of God” in 2014.