Brief history of the Congregation

When Father Silvio Pasquali, PIME was the parish priest at Mattampally Parish, a village in Telangana state in 1912, he felt the need of local collaborators who can help him in Evangelization, eradicating illiteracy, and in taking care of the sick and neglected people. This inspired him towards the foundation of the Congregation of Catechist Sisters of St. Ann. After two years of prayer and reflection, he founded the Congregation in 1914 with 7 candidates from the old Christian villages of his parish and entrusted them to the Sisters of Saint Anne of Providence, for their formation. The first batch of seven candidates were vested in the name of the Catechist Sisters of St. Ann on 25^th  March, 1918 and professed in 1921.

Most Rev. Dionizio Vismara PIME, the then Bishop of Hyderabad Diocese approved the Congregation of the Catechist Sisters of St. Ann as a Diocesan Congregation on March 12, 1943, and its Constitution on February 3, 1944. Until 1954, the Congregation was administered by Sister Marianna and Sister Paulina of Saint Anne of Providence as Superior General, and as Novice Mistress respectively. On 5th January 1954 Sister Enrechetta Thatireddy was elected as the first Superior General of the Congregation during its first General Chapter. The Holy See granted the Congregation the Pontifical status on 12^th June 1999, and approved its revised text of Constitutions. The Central Administration of the Congregation erected 2 Provinces on 2nd February 2007 with the approval of the Holy See.

CSA Charism: The Charism of the Congregation is to “Spread the Light of Christ“. True to its founder’s Charism, Congregation is spreading the Good News of Christ through its different apostolates, namely:

• Evangelization and Catechesis,
• Education Ministry,
• Healing Ministry,
• Human Promotion and Empowerment.

 Rural Apostolate was our founder’s cherished task. Hence, the Congregation gives priority for the programs of rural development; realized mainly through its village based dispensaries and social service centers. In addition to this, with a view to offering more facilities for the basic education of boys and girls in hamlets, more number of primary, middle and high schools were established in the villages with attached boarding homes.

CSA Spirituality: CSA Spirituality is a Missionary Spirituality. We imbibe the spirituality of our Father founder who was a zealous and an ardent missionary. His calling to be a missionary opened his eyes and his heart to live a spirit filled and spirit led life. The integrating factor in Fr. Pasquali’s spirituality is to proclaim the  ‘Word of God’ and to  ‘Save the Souls’. These factors configure it as a spirituality that is missionary, inculturated, prophetic, apostolic identified with the poor and marginalized.

In the year 2014, Congregation celebrated 100 years of its establishment and 150^th birth anniversary of our Founder. On this occasion, the Congregation built a centre for Catechesis and Evangelization (Replica of Holy Land) in memory of Father founder Fr. Silvio Pasquali at Pinakadami, Eluru Diocese and to continue the work of evangelization passed on by founder. Another milestone in the annals of Catechist Sisters of St. Ann is that our founder Father Silvio Pasquali was declared ‘Servant of God’ on  25^th April 2015.

We have special devotion to St. Ann our Patroness and live always under her patronage. Taking inspiration from Blessed Virgin Mary the perfect model of religious, we try to imitate her, in her unique concern to possess and present Jesus Christ in all charity and joyful service as she did during her earthly life.