About Us

St Anthony's Charity Institutions was founded on 12 June 1898 by Msgr Michael Placid Colaco, then Vicar of Milagres Church, Mangalore. Moved by the plight of the destitute and the abandoned, he opened a home of charity at Milagres, entrusting it to the patronage of St Anthony of Padua — to whom an altar had stood at Milagres since 1680, erected by Bishop Thomas de Castro.

Devotion to St Anthony became the lifeblood of the institution. The Tuesday Masses in honour of the Saint and the tradition of "St Anthony's Bread" drew devotees far and wide, and offerings poured in not only from across India but also from Singapore, China, Japan, the Malay States, Africa and Europe — sustaining the growing family of the poor housed at the Ashram.

In 1936, as the institution outgrew its original premises, it was relocated to its present sprawling campus at Jeppu, Mangalore. Operating under the Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, the campus grew to include homes for destitute men and women, the elderly, the differently-abled, senior priests, and hostels for poor students.

Today, more than 125 years later — having celebrated its Post Centenary Silver Jubilee — St Anthony's Charity Institutions continues Msgr Colaco's legacy, sheltering hundreds of residents from Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. We provide round-the-clock care for the destitute and elderly, and support deserving students with safe accommodation and the foundation they need to succeed.

Our work is sustained by the generosity of donors, the dedication of our staff and volunteers, and above all, by faith in the enduring call to serve "the least of these." We remain committed to treating every resident and student with the dignity, compassion, and respect they deserve.