Wolverhampton

It was in the beginning of the year 1957 that Mother Genevieve Marie, the Superior General of the Sisters of St Joseph of Tarbes decided to start a community in England. Fr P Jacqemart, a French missionary and director of Catechetics for schools in Bangalore, happened to be in Paris in the same year for research in Catechetics. Canon Fr Francis H. Drinkwater from England was there at the same time for the same research.

The latter knew of the need for Sisters in Tettenhall, which is part of the parish of Canterbury and so welcomed Fr Jacqemart’s information on this subject. On his return to England from Paris, Canon Francis Drinkwater facilitated the proposal to bring the Sisters to Tettenhall. Fr Michael McGrath was the parish priest. His Grace Francis Grimshaw, Archbishop of Birmingham at the time, patronized this proposal and invited the Sisters to his Diocese, gladly. Following this, Mother Anne de St Joseph, Regional Superior of the Region of India who happened to be in France in 1957, went to England with Sr Monique to England to meet the Parish Priest of Wolverhampton and to explore the possibility of starting a community there.

A second visit that Mother Anne made was with Mother Genevieve Marie, the Superior General. In the meantime Fr Drinkwater, who was quite familiar with the people, put the parish in touch with the Sisters. Five sisters: Mother Emmanuel Determes (superior), Sr Zita Wakefield, Sr Bernadette Marie D’Roza and Sr Genevieve Rozario, left Bangalore on the 29th June. They arrived in Sandy Lane. A school was started in the same year with 50 students. It was named St Thomas Canterbury school. Within a year the number increased to 150. The school flourished due to the faith, care, love and hard work of the sisters. The school later took on a new name – St Joseph’s Convent School.

Today the sisters are engaged in prison ministry and pastoral work.

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