The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity was founded in Italy in 1832 by a young dynamic gifted lady,Bartholomea Capitanio, with her companion Catherine Gerosa. They consecrated themselves wholly to God, in respose to His call, in order to be the visible instruments of the mercy and love of Jesus Christ, to God's people everywhere, especially where the need was great and extreme.
Bartholomea's vision of charity has culminated in the dedication of countless young ladies for a life of service all over the world. This vision has flowered into centres for education and health, homes for the unwanted children, the aged, the disabled, the destitutes, and all forms of social action.
In the year 1860, Bartholomea's sisters, Sisters of Charity were invited to offer their services in Bengal.They came to Secunderabad in the year 1869. Soon they lovingly and courageously inserted themselves in different cultures and social contexts, bringing the comfort of their loving services to humanity.
As Sisters of Charity, we are involved in a special way and with diverse roles, in the educational process of the youth, helping young girls to understand the reality of life and look at it in truth with an enlightened intelligence. The goal of education for us, As it was for our foundress St. Bartholomea, is to help the young generations to build up their own lives on sound principles and to uphold the values of justice and truth to defend the sacredness and dignity of life in the society.
While still a young girl, Bartholomea set herself a courageous plan of personal holiness: "I want to be a saint, a great saint and a saint soon." The environment in which she lived bore traces of the material and moral distress caused by Napoleonic despotism, the successive Austrian Restoration and the first evidences of the Industrial Revolution. Faced with the expectations of her times, She sensed the irresistible call of charity. She became a friend and sister to all young girls of her village. She held most dear those among them in greatest need. She opened a school for girls in her own home. She guided the leaders of youth groups of neighbouring towns. She enjoyed talking to the poor and helped them as far as she could. She sought to comfort the sick and the bedridden.
While she untiringly did everything she could in love for all, her interior attention purified by severe discipline was turned to Jesus, who during his earthly life worked only for the glory of the Father and gave his life for humankind. She died just eight months after she launched her mission of charity. Catherine Gerosa, her first companion, accepted her inheritance and continued to nurture and guide the new born Institute.
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