History
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF ST. ANNA CONGREGATION
The congregation of the Franciscan sisters of St. Anna was founded in Oudenbosch Netherlands on the 26th July 1838 the feast of Sts. Joachim and St. Anna. It was a congregation of Diocesan Right by the Decree of Vicar Apostolic of Breda His Lordship Van Hooydonk. It descends from the Penitents Recollectines of Leuvain who in 1697 followed the reform of Limburg of Mother Johanna of Jesus who followed the Spirituality of the Third Oder Regular of St. Francis of Assisi.
In Netherlands, the sisters were engaged in the Apostolates like health care, pastoral care for the old, care for the orphans and they dedicated themselves to the education of the girl child, teaching them literacy, useful arts and crafts.
The sisters responded to such needs beyond the boundaries of Holland and opened communities in Germany, Belgium and Surinam. rooted in a spirit of prayer and continuous penance, the congregation steadily continued the mission of Christ.
The province of Kenya was founded as a response to the appeal by his Holiness Pope Pius X11 to all congregations to send missionaries to Africa for evangelization. In June 1957, Bishop Hall and Fr. Van Oudraa of the diocese of Kisumu went to Oudenbiusch to ask for sisters to come to Kenya.
On the 5th of July, the Church in Netherlands identified five sisters for the new mission in Kenya. On 27th July, the five missionaries to Kenya received the mission-cross and were sent to Kenya to bring t he Good News. On 2nd October, the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, the journey to Kenya begun under their (Holy Angels) guidance. The sisters arrived in Lwak on 21st October 1958.
The Mission in Kenya and opening of new communities began and as the congregation continued to grow, it attained Pontifical Status in June 2010.
