Fr. George Kochuparambil, former Director of Catechesis in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam, began conducting liturgical services at Kalady and established the Catechetical Institute, earning recognition as a spiritual guide and advocate for Harijan Christians. On August 25, 1964, he formally founded the Preshitharam Catechetical Institute, which offered two-year diploma courses to train individuals for parish faith formation.
During this period, Fr. George envisioned forming a congregation of sisters dedicated to Scripture study, service to the poor, and evangelization. The first step involved training young women who, upon completing their formation, served in various parishes of the Archeparchy. Their zeal to serve the poor, combined with Fr. George’s vision of a committed religious community, led to the foundation of the Congregation of the Preshitharam Sisters.
On December 8, 1977, the Preshitharam Catechetical Institute was formally recognized as a religious congregation-the Congregation of the Preshitharam Sisters-by Cardinal Joseph Parecattil, the then Archbishop of Ernakulam.
The charism of the Preshitharam Sisters-faithful service-is central to their identity. On May 1, 1978, the first batch of twelve novices took their vows and received the religious habit. Their spirituality is rooted in the prayer tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the active service model of St. Vincent de Paul. During Fr. George’s lifetime, six convents were established across Kalady, Aimury, Chulli, Chittethukara, Thrikkakara, and Ayyampuzha. Guided by the Gospel ideal of “Serving the poor in Christ,” Fr. George passed away on April 26, 1982.
In 1984, Fr. George Kammattil, then Superior General of the Vincentian Congregation, was appointed Director of the Preshitharam Sisters. On August 15, 2013, Cardinal Mar George Alencherry elevated the Congregation to the status of a Major Archiepiscopal Institute.
Today, the Congregation of the Preshitharam Sisters serves across Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Punjab, as well as in Italy and Germany. Their ministries include religious education, home visits, nursery schools, orphanages, old age homes, institutions for mentally and physically challenged children and adults, parish ministry, hospital chaplaincy, mission outreach, tailoring centers, women’s hostels, and social upliftment projects.
Spread across 12 dioceses, with 55 houses and 300 members, the Congregation continues to grow under the leadership of Sr. Dona CPS, the present Superior General.
