Our Founder – Vijayawada Province

Need of the time is the will of God

When a work meets the need of the time, it indicates “the Will of God”. Whatever is built on the Lord is built upon solid ground.

Rector Fr. Wilhelm Meyer, the founder of the Society of Sisters of St. Ann, Luzern was a dynamic priest whose heart went out to alleviate the pains of the suffering humanity. He was indeed a shepherd for the neglected flock of his time. His spiritual advice, “Walk in the presence of the Lord '' was truly lived and experienced by him. His spirituality is deeply rooted in experiencing God in everyday life.

He was born on September 12, 1870 at Schoetz in Luzern. His dream to become an architect was realized when he accepted the divine call to become the architect for God to build his kingdom. He reached this sublime goal with piety, intelligence, talents and strong willpower.

Being the rector of the seminary, he never restrained himself from doing service to the needy. He sensed the untold sufferings of the aged, poor plight of the housemaids, insecurity of the migrants and the problems of the youth, revealing the merciful face of God through his care and support. He was a soul on fire with his matchless dedication.

Fr. Meyer felt the need of a mother at the time of child birth. His thoughts and reflections made him realize the urgent need to start a society with trained personnel to take care of them. These circumstances led to the birth of the Society of Sisters of St. Ann, Luzern in 1909. The work of founding the Society is shared by Mr. Hans Von Matt, the co-founder of the Society.

In 1912 February 8, he received the heavenly call, this noble soul found his eternal abode in the heart of his creator.

Passionate to serve the people on the peripheries, he cherished the desire to send the Sisters to the mission, especially India. The fulfilment of his dream came to reality when the first batch of sisters set foot on Indian soil in 1927.