In 1977, the first three sisters –Sr. Asuntha Herero, Sr. Gloria Mateo and Carmen Martin came to Bangalore and stayed at St. John’s Medical College Hostel and rendered their service at Sumanahalli and at different slums.Meanwhile they found a house at Langford Gardens, No.11, belonging to Dr. D’cunha, who sold the house to Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate. Along with the 3 sisters, Lucy Augustine [candidate] and Aruna [novice] stayed at this place while the renovation was going on. Thereafter, continued as a formation house (Novitiate) - and a mission house, Sr. Carmen Gonsalves was the novice mistress.
Along with the sisters, novices went to the slums and Sumanahalli to take care of leprosy patients –surveying, medicine, dressing of the wounds, etc. In 1992 - 1996, sisters and formees while visiting the slums came in contact with the Marianist brothers who worked for the upbringing of the rag pickers.So the sisters along with the brothers started educating the children of the rag pickers in the cemetery. In the slum, the sisters found a small girl - Thuranja, malnourished, practically abandoned by her parents leaving half dead in the house.Seeing her condition the sisters brought her to the convent and took care of her.Hence in 1998, Thuringia became the reason for the existence of Sneha Nilaya (A home for the orphans and underprivileged children). From 1997 - 2003 the children were few in numbers so they lived together with the sisters. The garage was used as theirclass room and playground. We lived by the providence of God and with help of local donors we started to give better care to more children. As the children were many and the place was not enough, in 2002- 2003 we extended our Provincialate building for the purpose of children.Later on, in 2015 when the Jesuits requested to begin a girl’s hostel and we felt it was part of our Charism - promotion of women. After the discernment, Provincial and her team decided to start St. Joseph girls study house in the old part of the building
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