The Congregation of the Augustine of Cologne (Cehtmen) traces its origin as far back as 1838. It was in that year that the German Government had invited four sisters of two different congregations in Cologne to work in the Buerger Hospital, Cologne.
When the government sought the enlistment of more sisters, the two congregations failed to come to a common agreement. This led the four sisters reinforced by some women and girls to set up an independent body apart from their parent congregation.
The people of Cologne, grateful to this little group for the devoted service they had received built the first convent on a piece of land purchased by them. Through the years the little seed flourished into a great tree of hundreds of sisters whose main work is service to the sick, the poor and the needy –mainly in government institutions.
Though the main apostolate in nursing, social service, care of the mentally sick, the aged and children are given due importance.
This is a diocesan congregation with its Mother House in Cologne, West Germany. It has a few houses in Belgium and India – one in Karnataka State, three in Kerala, two in Andhra Pradesh, six in Madya Pradesh and one in Assam. The congregation started its work in India in 1967. |