SCMM Presence in Indonesia
The presence of the Congregation of Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy (SCMM) in Indonesia is part of the dynamic mission of the universal Church, driven by God's love to respond to the social suffering and spiritual needs of the poor, especially women and children, through loving service in the fields of education, health, and social welfare. Thus, the SCMM Congregation began its work in Indonesia on July 12, 1885, in Padang, West Sumatra, with a focus on charitable service in the field of education. In 1961, SCMM Indonesia was established as a Region, and then on October 17, 1975, it became an Independent Province. Since 2002, the SCMM Province of Indonesia has been legally recognized as a Religious Legal Entity. Today, the SCMM has grown rapidly, spreading across various dioceses in Indonesia through educational, health, and social works based on the spirit of God's love and compassion.
Here we are
In 2025, the SCMM Congregation of the Indonesian Province will be present and working in 9 archdioceses/dioceses with 28 monastery communities spread across various regions of the archipelago. The SCMM's ministry is grouped into three major areas: Nias, which includes six communities on Nias Island; mainland Sumatra with thirteen communities in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra; and the Eastern region, which includes nine communities in Java, Kalimantan, Bali, Flores, and Sumba. The SCMM sisters serve in the fields of education, health, and social-pastoral work, with a spirit of love and compassion that is characteristic of the congregation's spirituality of “Love through Compassion.”
Mission of Mercy in Indonesia
The presence of the SCMM Congregation in Indonesia since 1885 is a tangible manifestation of the call to bring God's mercy to the diverse Indonesian people. From the city of Padang, West Sumatra, this mission has grown and taken root in various regions of the archipelago, reaching out to the small, the poor, and the forgotten. In the spirit of Mary, Mother of Mercy, the sisters diligently serve through education, health, and social work, pastoral care, and psychological counseling to the community, becoming witnesses of God's love that is alive in concrete actions. In schools, hospitals, orphanages, boys' and girls' dormitories, parish pastoral work, and community outreach, the SCMM Sisters present the face of the Church that is attentive, gentle, and hopeful for others.
Love and Heal - Here and Now
The mission of compassion in Indonesia is not only about doing social work, but about bringing to life the liberating and healing love of God. Amidst the challenges of poverty, injustice, and social change, the SCMM sisters continue to fight for life and human dignity, especially for the most vulnerable. With hearts sensitive to the needs of society and hands ready to serve, they are a sign of Christ's compassionate presence in the world. In Indonesia, this mission continues as a never-ending love story, a story of love that becomes healing “here and now,” spreading throughout the archipelago from Nias, Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Bali, Flores, to Sumba, bearing witness to the presence of the Kingdom of God on Indonesian soil.
