Guwahati, Feb. 17, 2026: The Northeast India Province of the Sisters of Charity of Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa (SCCG) has appointed its first indigenous Provincial Superior since the province was established in 1993.
Sr. Esther Kaini Sapriinamai, a native of Manipur belonging to the Mao tribe, was installed as the fifth Provincial Superior on December 3, 2025, during the XI Provincial Chapter held from December 3–8, 2025. She was appointed by Superior General Mother Venita Fernandes and her Council following consultation with the sisters of the province.
Her appointment marks a historic milestone, as she is the first Provincial Superior chosen from among the tribal communities of Northeast India, reflecting the growth of local vocations and leadership within the province.
Sr. Esther succeeds Sr. Mary Ponthempally, who completed her second term as the fourth Provincial Superior. The Northeast Province was carved out of the Kolkata Province on December 4, 1993, due to communication challenges in the region’s mission areas. Sr. Dorothy Kattakkakathootu served as the first Provincial Superior.
After completing her schooling, Sr. Esther joined the congregation and made her first profession in 1999. She later pursued her studies at Salesian college Dimapur, and at the Gregorian University in Rome. On returning, she was entrusted with formation ministry, accompanying young aspirants, young sisters and continued serving in leadership roles until her appointment as Provincial Superior.
During the Provincial Chapter, a new Provincial Council team was also elected to assist her in governance and animation of the province. The team assumed office in the first week of December 2025 and began its mandate alongside the new Provincial Superior.
The Northeast India Province currently comprises 194 sisters serving in education, healthcare, pastoral ministry and social outreach across the region. The Institute worldwide has approximately 3,040 sisters united in the congregation’s charism of compassionate service.
The Sisters of Charity began their mission in India in 1860 in Krishnagar. In Northeast India, their presence dates back to April 3, 1933, when four sisters from Italy arrived in Dibrugarh, Assam, to undertake nursing services. They later managed the Nursing School at Assam Medical College, inaugurated on February 13, 1948—the first nursing school in the Northeast—continuing their service there until September 15, 2008.The congregation later established VG Hospital in Dibrugarh and, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Guwahati, founded St. John’s Hospital in Guwahati. Today, the sisters remain active throughout Northeast India in education, healthcare, and ministry among tribal and rural communities.