St. Anne’s High School , Fort , Mumbai

Anne and Joachim were the parents of the Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. St. Anne was born in the city of Nazareth and educated in the temple of the Lord. Her family belonged to the tribe of Levi. The meaning of the word ANNA in Hebrew is ‘grace’.St. Anne was a lovely, learned, discreet and reverent lady. These qualities made her an outstanding person. She was well educated, having studied the history and geography of Israel, along with mathematics and natural sciences. Joachim and Anne were fond of both, books and music. In the evening, they read together, or Anne sang while her husband accompanied her on the harp St. Anne was faithful in her attendance in the temple and to the poor. She had a great gift of nursing the sick both in body and mind. Those in pain and distress frequently called on her for help and were never denied. All this she did, not only as part of her duty, but gladly, welcoming it as a way in which she could serve the people and, through them, her God. St. Anne was a great educator, as well as a devoted wife, dedicated mother and a privileged grandmother. St. Claudine Thevenet – Mother Foundress Claudine lived through the horrors of the French Revolution and was profoundly affected by the brutal execution of two of her brothers, which she witnessed at the young age of 19. The miseries of her time and a deep experience of the active goodness of God urged her to make Jesus and Mary known and loved by means of Christian Education, with a preference for the young, and among these for the poor. This ideal of Claudine remains the aim of the Congregation. Sharing in this mission we also have the ‘Family of Jesus and Mary’, an organisation of Lay collaborators. The Congregation, founded in France in 1818, is today present in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and Latin America with the Generalate in Rome. In India we have 3 Provinces: Pune, Delhi and Vadodara. The Pune Province extends over Maharashtra and Goa and has a diversity of apostolates. In the cities the Congregation has established 9 English Medium High Schools, a Marathi Medium Primary School, a school for the mentally challenged, a Teacher Training Institute, Open Schools, a Retreat House and a Boarding for street children. The sisters also collaborate in the Pastoral field with Faith Education, Youth Groups and Small Christian Communities. In the rural areas of Ahmednagar and Goa – dispensaries, Boardings and non-formal education centres serve the needy and the underprivileged. Emphasis is given for empowerment of women with the establishment of Mahila Mandals. Also, various ‘Learn and Earn’ courses are offered which include Home Nursing, Typing, Computer Classes, Rexene Bag making, Tailoring, knitting and Embroidery that encourage women to be self sufficient and self reliant. .