Claudine Echernier (1801-1869) was born to a peasant family in the parish of Feternes in Chablais, France. Little could anyone realise that this peasant girl would grow up to initiate congregations all over the world in selfless service. From childhood Claudine worked as a shepherdess and housemaid.

Poverty was her lot. At the age of 27 Claudine came to Chavanod, a little village of Savoie to help in the kitchen of the parish priest Fr Delalex. Claudine, being a lover of solitude and silence, felt very much at home in this lonely spot. Neither the puffing of a train nor the sound of rain would disturb her recollections and prayer. When Claudine felt the need to lead a more perfect life she retired into a room of a neighbouring farm. Soon some young girls from the parish who wished to follow Christ came to share her life of prayer and work. This then germinated in Claudine's soul: the project of a congregation which would form good workers and leaders for the village.

At the age of 36 while still in Chavanod—Claudine met Fr Mermier, the founder of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales. He took an interest in Claudine and in her ongoing project. Having come to know about this dynamic spiritual personality from such a humble background, Monsignor Rey, Bishop of Annecy, encouraged Claudine and approved her project for a new congregation in August 1838. By 1839 Fr Mermier preached a retreat for Claudine and her ten companions and received them into the novitiate and, with Claudine as their superior, formed the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod. Over the next half century the Sisters of the Cross community grew and they rendered their services in countries around the world. In 1886 six brave sisters landed in south India at Amaravati to serve the poor and heal the sick.

Having sensed the need of committed religious sisters in the then isolated Batlagundu Parish to collaborate with the local church in the pastoral care and education of youth, the late Rt Rev Leonard, Archbishop of Madurai invited the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod in 1957 to set up a convent there.

Seeing the medical needs of the surrounding community a dispensary was established in the Convent parlour having Sr Amendine as the first nurse. Pictured above is the Sisters of the Holy Cross Convent today (2018) adjoining the present-day Leonard Hospital.   

While The Holy Cross Dispensary grew in demand and Leonard Hospital was not to be officially launched until 1974, the Sisters' dedication in the educational field advanced, as by 1964 St Thomas Primary School was upgraded to a Middle School and regular Medical Camps were intitated for the students by the Doctors of Leonard Hospital.

In 1969 even as demand grew for expansion of the small dispensary Mother Marie Cecile, then Provincial, was ready to respond to this need to put up a proper hospital ... but where was the land? Sr Seraphine rose to the occasion and discovered that the land adjacent to the Convent campus was to be sold for the construction of a cinema theatre! Sr Seraphine approached the Chairman of the Panchayat and requested the four acres of land for the service of the community. In the end, the owner chose to sell the land to the Convent for a price lower than was offered for the cinema project as this was "for a noble and needed cause". Responding to the needs of the community a 40-bed facility named after the late Archbishop of Madurai complete with laboratory, X-ray and operation theatre was planned out and construction began on the plot of land once intended for a theatre.  Photo: Hospital construction in progress.

What began as a humble Convent Dispensary some fourteen years earlier took shape under the watchful eye of the ultra perfectionist Sr Concilia as its meticulous planner, construction advisor, equipment facilitator and first administrator.

The Day Care Crèche "Sisu Bhavan" for the children of Bethany Village was started by Mother Marie Cecile Vionnet as an adjunct to the Hospital. Mother Marie Cecile was Regional Superior and the Provincial of the Sisters from 1964 to 1977 during the dramatic changes that ushered in the advent of Leonard Hospital. Swiss by birth, Mother Marie Cecile was Indian in every respect; being a nurse herself she could get to know the pulse of the people and sense their needs. Leonard Hospital owes her much; if not for her vision and planning, Leonard Hospital would not have come into existence.  Pictured here, Children of Sisu Bhavan in 2016 with Sr Marie Louise and Sisu Bhavan Staff, Mrs Rani and Mrs Sasikala. Children and Staff of Sisu Bhavan receive regular medical and dental check-ups.

The extension of the Outpatient Department was completed in 1987 and the Coronary Care Unit in 1988. MISSIO, Aachen, came forward with a helping hand for the construction of the Prayer Hall in 1990. Dr John Karuppaiah started his visits as a consultant orthopaedic from 1989 and performed many reconstructive surgeries for victims of childhood polio besides performing other major orthopaedic surgeries all at Leonard Hospital.

Increasing demand for the quality of care saw the Members of the Board vote to construct an upper floor of the Hospital in 1991. We have to say that God's providence brought us the needed finances through the Komitee of German Doctors. Fr Michael Jeyaraj recommended our project to them; we asked only for a Paediatric and Surgical Ward but, seeing the need of the area, the Komitee of Doctors and the Government of Germany came forward to assist us for the whole construction: the First Floor, Doctors Quarters, Staff Quarters and the purchase of major equipment. This expansion project took place in three phases. A spacious Surgical Ward and Paediatric Wards were inaugurated by Shri Ramesh Ram Mishra, Collector of Anna District in January 1993. Inauguration and blessing of the Medical Ward was completed in January 1994. So that after completion of the construction the Hospital bed-strength was raised to 175 and then expanded to the present 200-bed capacity.

In 1990 Dr Sr Perpetua, Medical Superindentent of Leonard Hospital from 1998, started a well equipped Physiotherapy Department at Leonard Hospital. Aware of the needs of the patients Dr Sr Perpetua appointed specialists and extended the O.P.D. She also introduced the National Tuberculosis Control Programme in 1992.

Members of DEEPAM in 2016 at the gates of the Holy Cross Convent. DEEPAM unfolded in the 1990s as extension programs of Leonard Hospital's field work with the goal to organise awareness programs, health education, health camps, village health workers programs, non-formal education and dairy development programs. In the 1990s a cooperative milk society and general self employment programs for the surrounding 150 villages was initiated. DEEPAM was made possible with help of CARITAS India.

The Claudine School of Nursing was a cherished dream of Sr Catherine, Administrator of Leonard Hospital in 1979. She had travelled by foot to every single farming village around Batlagundu in the very early days of the Hospital and saw first hand the conditions of girls wanting an education, while her dreams were realised in 1996. Sr Jerome, Congregation of the Sister of the Holy Cross, Kottayam, was the first Claudine School of Nursing Principal. Named after our Mother Foundress from peasant origins herself, the Diploma Nursing School aims at training economically disadvantaged young women who cannot afford capitation fees. Claudine School of Nursing received Government recognition in July 1998. At present (2018) we have a strength of 80 students. As of 2016 some acres have been acquired to fulfil the vision of the future: to establish a degree course Claudine College of Nursing, and, down the road, a Medical College. 

The Community Health Centre at Karisalpatti was constructed in 1998 for the Exposure Programme of the students of Claudine School of Nursing. Today (2018) The Community Health Centre serves villages around Karisalpatti.

Silver Jubilee of Leonard Hospital was celebrated with great fanfare looking back to the accomplishments of the previous twenty five years. The St Thomas Middle School was in the same year upgraded to Holy Cross Girls Higher Secondary School.

New beginnings and Openings • RSO Certificate was obtained from the Government of India for IMAGING departments–CT, X-RAY and Mammography Equipment–in September-2015 • SWIFT SOFTWARE SOLUTION–Software program was launched in Leonard Hospital in April, 2015 • Minividas was acquired for the Leonard Hospital Lab • New C-Arm and Mobile X-ray was acquired • Dialysis Department was opened on September 8th, 2015 and kidney patients are treated in-house at Leonard Hospital. Photo: CT Scan with technician.

All through the years many dedicated men and women have come together to create the blessing of Leonard Hospital. It is virtually impossible to name here all those wonderful souls who contributed and continue to contribute their tireless efforts and far vision to this great cause. In 2007 Leonard Hospital private room capacity was expanded and a Female Surgical Ward was constructed under the able direction of Sr Rosily. In 2008 a new complex comprised of four fully equipped operation theatres was constructed in a timely manner lead by Sr Pushpa Swaminathan. With the upgrading and purchase of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, Leonard increasingly attracted some of the best consultants around. Investing heavily in 2011, we were able to purchase our CT Scan to save locals the trouble of journeying long hours in not great conditions to Madurai for investigation. In 2012, Medical Superintendent, Dr Sr Jacqueline, initiated many infrastructural improvements and organised the Ophthalmic Department that could now provide much needed cataract surgery. Funding for infrastructure was located by Fr Palsamy of Reaching the Unreached. Also in 2012 construction began for the Medical Intensive Care Unit under the watchful eye of Sr Felsi Francis, Leonard Hospital Administrator. All in all, over the 2000s there was a welcome increase in visits by speciality and super-speciality consultants from major private hospitals and medical colleges in South India. Not unaware of the terrible human tragedy of alcohol and drug addiction Leonard Hospital in 2009 set up "New Life Centre". Sr Pushpa Kumari, the present Administrator oversees the renovation and remodelling of Leonard Hospital today (2018). In October 2016 we received an Award for Best Service by Gandhigram Trust. We have now enrolled Leonard Hospital in the Assesment Program of the National Acrreditation Board for for Hospitals.