HISTORY The streams that flowed from the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Venerable Rev. Fr. Mathew Kadalikkattil sowed the seed of the Sacred Heart Congregation for women in the Syro- Malabar Church. The seed that sprouted at Pala in 1st January, 1911 extended its first branch to Punnathura in 1926. Today the congregation has 11provinces and one region. By the divine providence, the first sapling of congregation had planted at Changancherry, it sprouted and blossomed with two fruitful branches and becomes St.Mathew’s Province. Fr. John Pottedom was then the vicar of Punnathura, Vellappally church he took initiative to start S.H convent at Punnathura on 19th December,1926. A home for the orphaned children and destitute old women was also started on the same date. Bishop Mar.Mathew Kavukatt was keenly interested in the formation, development and growth of S.H Communities. Rev. Fr. Cyriac Kocherry was entrusted to do the needful for the S.H sisters from 1952 onwards. His Grace had been called our sisters to take up the apostolic works in high ranges and Kanyakumari missions as the pioneers of these regions. In the year 1955, our sisters went to Amboori, the first mission of Changanacherry. Our sisters had gone to USA for studies at Mercy College, in Chicago. In 1969, the sisters started mission work in Assam. Etawah Mission- our sisters started the mission works at Chibbramau, on 4th July, 1989 and also at Auraiya on 28th June, 2006. Andhra Pradesh -Mission houses were started in Adilabad diocese in 1995 and one house in Hyderabad diocese in 1996. As St. Pope John Paul second’s words: “You have not only a glorious history to remember and to recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished! Look to the future, where the spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things.” (VC.110) Statistics Total Number of Sisters : 436 Formed houses : 039 Residence : 005 Service Centers : 008 Mission Stations : 013 Formee : 019