The Sisters of Charity of the Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa, an international Catholic congregation based in Italy, elected the first Indian superior general.
Sister Venita Fernandes, who hails from the western Indian state of Goa, was elected during the 28th general assembly in Rome in June.
She succeeded Sister Annamaria Viganò, an Italian who led the 191-year-old congregation for six years.
Sister Fernandes was born the eldest of five daughters of Minguel Fernandes and Ilda Borges.
She completed her education at St. Xavier’s High School in Velim and Maria Bambina Convent High School in Cuncolim.
After her higher secondary education at Damodar College in Margao, she entered religious life with the Sisters of Charity.
Sister Fernandes completed her novitiate at Dharwar, pronounced her First Profession, and served at the congregation’s convent in Secunderabad.
She has served the congregation as the novice director, provincial councilor, and assistant superior general.
The congregation was founded in 1832 by Bartolomea Capitanio, a 26-year-old woman, who was involved in the struggles of the people of Lovere, her native town.
Catherine Gerosa, a rich but pious woman of Lovere, helped Bartolomea in the project. They consecrated on November 21, 1832 at Casa Gaia. Catherine Gerosa led the congregation after Bartolomea died July 26, 1833, eight months after founding the congregation.
The congregation first came to India in 1860, when Mother Theresa Bosio, the first superior general sent four sisters to work in Bengal. – with reports from Matters India
