Our Foundress

Our Foundress

St. Xavier’s College for Women was established by the Venerable Mother Eliswa, foundress of the Congregation of Teresian Carmelites. The mother of all consecrated women in Kerala, Venerable Mother Eliswa was a trend setter and she responded whole heartedly to the challenges of her liberating mission. She was a great sage that Kerala saw in the 19th century, who left indelible marks on the religious, social and educational realms of Kerala womenfolk.

The Venerable Mother Eliswa is a vital presence in today’s consumerist and chaotic world for she prophetically proclaimed the spirit of love, tolerance, mutual understanding and generosity of heart as imperatives to heal the world. An embodiment of all these noble qualities, she endeavoured new ventures to transform the Kerala society. She strove hard to uplift the educational, social, cultural and vocational status of women and paved the way for starting academic and social institutions to empower the hapless women, contributing her own property and personnel. It was her vision and farsightedness that enabled the marginalized community of Kerala reach the enviable position in educational field that it has acquired today.

Aspiring to dispel the darkness of illiteracy among girls she established the first school for girls in Kerala, first boarding house and orphanages attached to the school for girl students and poor uncared children respectively. These initiatives were a break through and they flourished into esteemed institutions of which St. Xavier’s College for Women is far-famed.