The Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph was founded in the year 1843 in France, by six young girls who had a special experience of God, urging them to live a life of Contemplation. Living together in communion they became sensitive to the needs of the people around and responded enthusiastically to their call to educate children, care for the sick and undertook many forms of service.

OUR VISION :
Rooted in our Charism of Trinitarian Communion, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes, radically share in the vision and mission of Jesus, “ Father, may they all be one ”. ( Jn. 17 : 21 )

OUR MOTTO :
May we all be one.

Our History in India :
In 1881 at the request of Fr Maury, the director of the Society of the Foreign Missions in Paris. Five sisters were sent to India. They are Sr Ansleme, Sr Marie de l’Assomption, Sr Aurelien, Sr Gervasie and Sr Marie Flavie.

On April 13th, 1882 the pioneers to India left the Mother House. They arrived in Pondicherry on 11th May 1882 and in Bangalore on 13th May. On May 31st 1882, the five Sisters cheerfully set to work at the Bowring Hospital. Though the Sisters could alleviate the physical pain of the patients, they were powerless to comfort the patients in their spiritual distress, due to their language handicap. None of them knew English, leave alone any local languages. The language they all knew was the language of love which they communicated through example and devotedness.

On June 3rd 1889 St Francis Xavier School for European and Eurasians girls was established. On 21st August 1899 a school for the Indian children was established. It was named Rajamma Thamboochetty School after the name of its Benefactress.

The Charism of the Sisters of St Joseph of Tarbes is, “Rooted in the love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit we are called together, to be for God and to be for others, to live and build Communion in our communities and the in the world.

Today we are 480 sisters in India in two Provinces and one Region – Province of Bangalore, Province of Mysore and Region of Jeevan Maithri.
In the Province of Bangalore we have 216 sisters.
In the Province of Mysore 200 sisters
In the Region of Jeevan Maithri, which is under the Province of Bangalore there are 64 sisters.
Our communities in the Province and Jeevan Maithri are spread over 7 States: Andhra, Chattisgarh, Jarkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and M.P.

We are engaged in education, medical, social and pastoral work.