Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary
The Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM) are a
History
The founders of the congregation were eleven lay-women who left France from the early nineteenth century to assist in the missions established by the
Between 1857 and 1862 ten more missionaries arrived in Oceania to help Perroton. They were all members of the "Third Order of Mary". They had a Rule, based on that of the Marist Fathers; a habit, a vow of obedience to the local Bishop, and were called "Sister", but not an official community of religious sisters.[2] In 1881 the members took vows as religious and were established as a diocesan congregation, Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Mary (TORM). That same year, two novitiates were established; one in Saint-Brieuc, France, and one on Wallis.[3]
The Sisters became very active in the Pacific. By 1931 they were staffing a hospital for
Today
As of 2020, there are about 400 Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary working in twenty-three countries mostly in the areas of education and religious communication.[5]
The Province of South Pacific is made up of the five island countries of New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Philippines. In Suva, the capital of Fiji, sisters teach at the Training College and at the Pacific Regional Seminary.[6]
The Region of the Americas includes Jamaica, Peru, and the United States.[5]
References
- ^ "Missionary Sisters of Society of Mary", Society of Mary
- ^ a b "Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM), Faith central
- ^ "Who we are", Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary
- ^ a b O'Meeghan S.M. 2003, p. 229.
- ^ a b "About", Region of the Americas, SMSM
- ^ "The Province of South Pacific, SMSM
Sources
- O'Meeghan S.M., Michael (2003). Steadfast in hope: The Story of the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington 1850-2000. Wellington: Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington.