Engraved in gold are these names in the history of St. Ann’s in India - Sr. Francisca Feer, Sr. Elizabeth Affentranger, Sr. Catherine Mueller and Sr. Magdalene Wicky; for they gave birth to this entity. When the dream of the Founder to go into mission was disclosed, among the sixty Sisters who volunteered, these four were selected. They dared to cross the ocean, to the Indian soil embracing a new culture, to give new life and hope to the hopeless. For the young Sisters, the whole undertaking was a sacred adventure. Being aware of the struggles and difficulties waiting in an unknown land, freely and willingly, with the readiness to sacrifice themselves at the service of the needy, they bowed to the will of God. The words of the Founder, “Pluck the spirit of sacrifice from the Sisters of St. Ann and you may as well put the tomb stone over their grave”, were imprinted in their hearts. A deep and selfless love of God motivated them to say ‘yes’ to the call. They found God in the face of the poor and needy and served them with great compassion. Wherever they went, they carried the flame of God’s love with great generosity and became one with the people.

So deep was their commitment…Wide was their vision…Great was their trust in God…

Strong was the foundation laid by them that even today we enjoy the fruit of their hard work. The spirit of the Founder and the commitment of the pioneers continue to rest upon us today making Jesus present to the needy.