The origin of the Society of St. Anne, Phirangipuram can be traced back to 19th century in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded by Thatipatri Gnanamma, a lay woman, who hailed from Phirangipuram, a small village in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. During her time, the education of young girls was an impossible dream. Gnanamma kept constantly in touch with the illiterate girls in the locality and identified education as a principal means of empowering them. For this vision to materialize, she started a school exclusively for girls in 1863. Inspired by her committed service to the cause of women, two young girls requested mother Gnanamma to let them help her in the wonderful cause in the capacity of nuns.  Accepting their request, she sent them to be formed at St. Ann’s Novitiate of the Good Shepherd Congregation in Bellary. After their initial formation, these two young girls, became sisters in 1874 and thus a religious Congregation with a specific vision for the betterment of women known as Society of the Sisters of St. Anne was born. The Congregation was founded out of the pressing need for empowering women through education. Therefore, it was the mission that demanded the formation of our Congregation.

The Congregation received pontifical status on 13th May, 1999 by Pope John Paul II. And it was divided into two administrative regional units with separate headquarters in Phirangipuram and Hyderabad. The two regions were elevated to the status of Provinces in 2008.

The main apostolate of the Congregation is education and evangelization. To actualize the dream of Foundress Thatipatri Gnanamma Congregation started colleges even in remote villages with the sole aim of providing higher education for girls. Today, SSAP are a band of willing hands, committed minds and compassionate hearts engaged in a journey of religious fervour with a committed mission towards a just and equal society.

St.Ann’s College started as a Junior College that was upgraded to a degree college in 1983 and progressed to offering Post Graduation programs since 1991 oriented towards the cause of need-based education, aiming at optimum growth.