The Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo

Kamba village, Varap post, shahad, Kalyan west,
Thane Dist, Maharashtra, India - 421103
St. Charles convent, Perumon Mundakkal, Kollam, Kerala.

St. Charles convent is located in Chittiyam, Inchavilla, KollamDt, Kerala state.Chittayam is situated in Kollam District which has a very clean and good environment.

Asthamudi Lake at present does not have a good wealth of fish. In recent years some of the families either of the parents or other members go abroad to find job and money. The fisher women and their families have a very low financial status. Many of them take loans for their sustenance and fail to repay the loan. They have no job opportunities, so they suffer financially to meet even their basic needs. This locality is rural in nature but has enough transport facility to connect to the town.

On August 28th 1997 the community was shifted from kuripally, another suburban town of Quilon, where the candidates studying to Perumon. Kuripally was affiliated to Kadakkal community. Thus we owe very much to the community at Kadakkal especially Sr.Rina in establishing this community at the initial stage.

Sr. Thangam the superior, Sr. Mary Joseph and Sr. Laly Kuriakose were the pioneers of this community. It was a very simple beginning. Since sisters did not have a house and could not get a rented house either, according to the proposal of the parish priest and parish council, the bishop of Quilon gave us the parochial house to live in till the convent building was constructed.

On 30th of August 1997 at 5p.min the presence of all the Parishioners Fr. James Puthenpura , the religious fathers and few priests from Quilon diocese, Bishop Rt.Rev.Dr.Joseph welcomed the sisters and offered holy mass, saying, ‘today is the great day for the parish and the people. God has given a great gift-a blessing to Quilon diocese, “the sisters” and he expressed very clearly as follows: “Our sisters have come leaving everything, their parents, home and all they hold dear to them in order to be with you all, to take you to the Lord by their very life of prayer, sacrifice and mission. So it is up to each one of you to realize that you are their brother and sister, father and mother. They are here to extend the kingdom of God.”

Activities:

  • Visiting the 450 families in 18 wards and taking care of the sick.
  • Discovered and expressed by the people themselves was education of the children. With the permission of the superior general mother Andrea, the foundation stone was laid for the school by Mother Joseph one of our first Indian sister and blessed by Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Fernandez and work began on February 5, 1998.
  • June 3rd 1998.The primary English (ICSC board) school was started. The main purpose was to provide Christian education to the local people to help them to live with dignity. The School has grown up in stages: 05.02.1998; 15.01.2003 (2 class rooms V, VI STD); 18.11.2003 (5 class rooms); 20.02.2007, Lab, library, and office block; completed in 30.05. 2009. 23.02.2014 (New building) additional class-rooms, hall and guest rooms. In the year 2018-2019 we started ‘Charlian bees’ movement in our school.
  • Free tuition Centre and catechism classes for the children and youth, preparing for the rectification of marriages, preparing the children for first Holy Communion, adult baptism, parish activities and other extended services, like Jesus youth and KCYM.
  • 'Rise India Movement’, (RIM) an organization was started on 19.7.2015 in order to reach out to the fisher folk, marginalized and the poor women of the locality.
  • "Event management” group for the youth of our parish for self-employment.
  • S.C.B associates, comprising 12 members was started in the year 2009.