The Congregation of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd has its roots in the Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, founded by St.John Eudes in 1641 at Caen, France. St.Mary Euphrasia Pelletier (1796-1868), foundress of the Sisters of the Godd Shepherd, entered the Congregation of our Lady of Charity of the Refuge in 1814. She gave a new orientation to the Congregation by establishing the Generalate in Angers, France in 1829 and extending its boundries to all the countries of the world, thus founding the Congregation of the Sisters of the Good shepherd. Pope Gregory XVI approved it on 16 January 1835.
Responding to the request of Bishop Charbonneaux, Vicar apostolic of Mysore, for Sisters to take care of young firls and women, Sr.M. Euphrasia sent out five Sisters of the Good Shepherd from France to India. After a perilous journey of 81/2 months they arrived in Bangalore on the evening of 14 August 1854, the eve of the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady.
The Sisters of the Good Shepherd, both apostolic and contemplative, continue St.Mary Euphrasia’s work of shepherding and reconciling persons towards fullness of life, affirming that one person is more precious than the whole world.
The Congregation is now spread to 67 countries the world over. In India, they respond to their Good Shepherd mission in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and also Nepal. |