The Sisters of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret came to Malta in 1868 and that same year the running of the Government Orphanage at Valletta was entrusted to their care; the Government also entrusted to them the running of three small schools at Baħrija, Imtaħleb and BirŻebbuġa. As the number of sisters increased, they gave their service in Orphanages, Government hospitals Homes for the elderly, Prisons and ‘Dar tal-providenza’, a residence for people with disabilities, a service they offer till this day.Caring for the the sick and the poor has always been the main mission of the congregation.
With this mission in mind, the St. Jeanne Antida Foundation was launched.
The (SIAF) Foundation is an autonomous body, with legal personality as a Foundation, publicly registered in Malta as a not-for profit NGO. It is a family and community-focused organisation, commited to identifying and supporting in a holistic manner, very vulnerable and poor families. It was set up by the Malta Province of the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne Antida in collaboration with lay persons and is administered by a Governing Board with a Chief Executive Officer.
The sisters also run the St. Jeanne Antida College, comprising of 3 schools, one in B’Buġia, Gudja and Tarxin.
As part of their mission, a number of sisters offer voluntary work in different sectors, such as:
Various activities in Parishes, Social work, Home visits, weekly meetings for the elderly and youths and service at the prison.
It is interesting to note that, one of the miracles which led to the canonization of St. Jeanne Antida took place at the central Hospital in Floriana, Malta on the 14th January 1934.
