China-India - Sœurs Auxiliatrices

A committed group with a rich past

The China-India group is the last entity of the Society of the Helpers of the Souls in Purgatory to be created, in 2011. Its history is nonetheless rich, as the presence of Sisters in Asia dates back to the 19th century. The first Helpers set out for China in 1867

Until 1949, China was one of the most significant centres of the congregation.
The arrival of nuns in India, on the other hand, is more recent. A community dependent on the Central European entity was established in Bārāsat in 1995, followed by two other communities in West Bengal, in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) and Bolpur Shantiniketan. In 2011, these three entities were merged with the communities of Taiwan and Hong Kong to create the China-India group.

Sisters

Communities established in India, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and a project management residence in India

“Help with any manner of good, whatever it may be.”

Our missions

The Helpers of the China-India group engage in a wide variety of activities depending on the countries and locations where they are based.

In India

1. Kolkata (Oïkotan and Progoti communities) • School involvement: Three Sisters work in a school, coordinating the department for students with special needs. • Caritas Kolkata: One Sister handles accounting for the archdiocese’s Caritas. • University support: A Sister offers psychological counselling for students. • Additionally, two Sisters are pursuing university studies. 2. Bārāsat community • Vocation discernment: The Sisters host and guide young women discerning their religious vocation. • Community outreach: They are attentive to local poverty, visiting families, children, and elderly people in retirement homes. • Alternative medicine & education: Two Sisters manage a centre for alternative medicine and an education centre in rural Sariakata, 250 kilometres from Bārāsat. 3. Bolpur Shantiniketan community • Support for young women: The Sisters provide a safe living space for disadvantaged girls completing their secondary education. • Women and children outreach: They organise sewing courses, work as nurses in local hospitals, and visit village families.

In Taiwan

The Sisters actively support and maintain connections with religious congregations based in mainland China through various forms of spiritual accompaniment. Additionally, they engage in multiple pastoral services in a local parish in Taipei and with two CLC groups (Christian Life Community). Their mission includes: • Visits to the elderly: The Sisters visit elderly individuals in retirement homes or in their personal homes. • Outreach to the homeless: They regularly visit homeless people at the Taipei train station, offering support and care.

In Hong-Kong

The primary mission of the sole Sister based in Hong Kong is the accompaniment and leadership of the lay association connected to the charism of Mary of Providence, called “Friends of Hope.” This involves organising meetings, making visits, and coordinating the celebration of two Eucharistic masses annually. Additionally, the Sister provides support to immigrant workers from mainland China, collaborating closely with the local parish to offer assistance and pastoral care.