The preparation of founding the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist in India, started in the year 1963, when Chanda was taking its shape in the form of a Diocese. Late Rev. Bishop Januarius was the Apostolic Exarch of Chanda at that time. He needed sisters to convert this virgin land into a fruitful vineyard of the Lord. So he delegated Rev. Fr. Werner CMI to assist him in his search for missionary sisters.
The Lord said to Abraham, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father´s house to the land that I will show you…" So Abraham went as the Lord told him. History repeated itself in the year 1963 when thirteen girls were called by the Lord to leave their home-land and their kindred to go to a country which was totally unknown to them.
In 1969, Mother General Stephana, Sr. Lutgardis, Sr. Shanta, Sr. Abhaya and Sr. Rose came to India to find a suitable place in the Chanda Mission to implant the seed of our first centre in India. As advised by late Bishop Januarius, Wardha was chosen as the first centre.
On 24th June 1971, a tiny twig from the solid tree of Sisters of St. John the Baptist from Germany was planted into Indian soil. Sr. Lutgardis was appointed as the delegate Superior of the Indian Region. A team of seventeen young sisters headed by Rev. Sr. Lutgardis, strived hard to keep this branch alive in the arid area of Chanda mission. Their toil resulted in a fairly well growth and it has branched out to 23 other centers. The courage, dedication and the sacrificing spirit of these missionaries are really marvelous. Sr. Lutgardis remains a living model and inspiration for the Indian sisters for her farsighted vision, systematic planning and implementation of the decisions taken for the well being of the Indian Province. The Indian Province was sheltered by her 25 long years, until she was elected as the Superior General of the Congregation. She always remained a father and mother to the young sisters in India.
Trusting in the Providence of God we have now spread our branches to ten, different Dioceses in India : Chanda, Nagpur, Pune, Trichur, Kanjirappally, Gujarat, Kannur, Secunderabad. Trier and Berlin in Germany. We also render our services to Germany and Africa.
