Sisters of Saint Mary Celebrate 200 Years of Service

SSMN Celebrate 200 years of service:

For 200+ years, the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur have been committed to bringing the Good News to the poor of the earth. From Belgium to Texas, the history of the Sisters is a story of hard work and hope. Today, the Sisters continue to promote peace locally and throughout the world. We invite you to read more about where we have been, and where we are going.

HISTORY AND MISSION OF SSMN

In this amazing story of our beginnings and of the courageous women who have gone before us, we concentrate on the mission of education that our Sisters have carried on for now 200 years. We no longer have academies, but the seeds planted in many institutions, parishes, and social ministries continue to grow and spread our mission of education and dedication to the poor as we read the signs of our times.

The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur was established in Namur, Belgium, in 1819, when religious communities were forbidden throughout Belgium and France. Josephine Sana and Elizabeth Berger came together on November 11, 1819, in a small house provided by their pastor, Father Nicholas Joseph Minsart, and began to offer sewing lessons, together with religious instruction, to the young women of the area. The community quickly spread to other towns. Parents soon asked that the girls be taught to read and write as well as sew, and thus began the tradition of Catholic education that continues to mark the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur on four continents.

WE MOVE SOUTH

The Sisters of St. Mary came to the United States in 1863, to work as missionaries to the American Indians. Due to the confusion of the Civil War, the Sisters never reached the West, but remained in Lockport, New York, where they established a school for immigrant children.

As demands for schools increased, more Sisters were sent from Europe, and in 1873 the Sisters arrived in Waco, Texas. Following the path of the early railroads, the Sisters established academies in Ennis, Corsicana, Denison, Sherman, Fort Worth, Dallas, Wichita Falls, and eventually the University of Dallas in Irving. Young women began joining the community and in 1921 the Western Province of the Sisters of St. Mary was established.

OUR MISSION CONTINUES

Our Sisters are still educators and missionaries, passionate supporters of non-violence, and promoters of the pursuit of peace. We continue our work in education, health care, prison ministry, immigration and adult formation, as well as maintaining missions in Africa and Brazil. The Sisters of Saint Mary are committed to spreading the Good News wherever the Spirit leads us in meeting the needs of God’s people on earth.





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