SMS-St. Mary's Province

ABOUT US

The stream of kindness and compassion poured out as the founder was the vicar of St. Mary’s Church Lalam Palai,. The pathetic sights during this evening walks shattered the calm sleep during the night. Because the wandering children in the street, without the care of a father, without the loving touch of a mother, having nobody to love, quarrelling each other made him discomfort. Dreaming the safe future of these children, Fr. Abraham planned to start a home for them and the generous people of his parish supported his humanitarian dream as they could, and on 5th April 1959 he started the first home for Boys - Boys Town. It was a shore of hope to many children who were destined to end their beautiful childhood through the streets.
The life of compassion spreads everywhere through the life of this good shepherd. A new house was started for the wandering girls in his own parish Kozhuvanal on 15th August 1963. Then the kind – hearted priest turned his attention to the desolated aged people and without delay, a home was build for them related to Boys Town namely Dayabhavan. Following the compassionate love of Jesus, he shared the compassionate love to the suffering without any barriers of cast, creed or religion. Within few years, the kindness and self-giving love broke the barriers of place and flourished to different parts of Kerala.
At this divine moment, the Holy Spirit evoked a new dream in his mind about starting a new Congregation for the care of this abandoned people. Inspired by the Divine call and spirit of the founder 10 young women came forward with a desire to dedicate themselves for God and the service of the poor. With the consent and blessings of the then Bishop of Palai, Mar Sbestian Vayalil, Fr. Abraham commenced a the first communityof Snehagiri Missionary Sisters.
The first 10 members committed themselves to Jesus through three vows obedience, chastity and poverty , in the congregation of Snehagiri Missionary Sisters at the Boys Town Chapel before the Patron Mar. Sebastian Vayalil on 11th May 1971. Thus the foundation stone of Snehagiri was laid. The seeds of the new community has sprouted and grown into a large tree within years and Snehagiri started her new missions in and around Pala, in and out Kerala and in abroad within few years . The growth and development of our Religious community during the last 49 years has been praiseworthy.
After the splendid service of 25 years, the Silver Jubilee of Snehagiri Communuty was celebrated in the year 1993-’94. Our revised constitution and statutes was approved by the Diocesan curia on 20 October 1994. As a reward to our humble service and constant prayers of the sisters, on 24th November 1994, the community of Snehagiri Missionary Sisters is raised to the status of an Eparchial Congregation in the Syro-Malabar Church.
Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, the Bishop of Palai on 1st March 2006 graciously permitted the snehagiri sisters to initiate the process of raising the Congregation to the Major Archiepiscopal Status. Our revised Statutes and Directives were approved by the Major Archiepiscopal curia on 15 August 2006. On 3rd September 2006, the Snehagiri Missionary Sisters are raised in to the Status of Major Archiepiscopal Congregation by His Beatitude Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, the Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church. The 11th General Synaxis took place in the Generalate of Palai on 2nd to 9th March 2008. On 3rd March, 2008, the Congregation is structurally divided in to three Provinces namely, St. Thomas Province Pala, St. Mary’s Province Kothamanglam and St. Joseph’s Province, Malabar. In 2014 Snehathma Mission Region also formed.

St.mary's Province

St. Mary's Province (SMS) is a province within the Snehagiri Missionary Sisters (SMS) congregation, a religious order in Kerala, India. The province is located in Kothamangalam, with its provincial house in Nellimattom. SMS is a congregation dedicated to serving the poor and abandoned, drawing strength from the Holy Eucharist. Charism: The province's charism is to witness the compassionate love of Jesus among the poor and abandoned, deriving spiritual power and strength from the Holy Eucharist .Ministries: SMS sisters engage in various ministries, including running homes for the elderly, children, and the differently abled, as well as social work, parish work, education, and press ministry.