The Mission of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy
The mission of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy springs from the heart of the Church and is rooted in Christ's compassion for the poorest and most marginalized.
The mission of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy springs from the heart of the Church and is rooted in Christ's compassion for the poorest and most marginalized.
The Congregation was founded in 1832 in the Netherlands by Father Joannes Zwijsen, at a time marked by poverty and social exclusion.
From the beginning, our charism has been expressed in service:
Education
Health care
Social assistance
Pastoral and missionary action
Moved by faith and sensitivity to the misery of the people, the founder recognized that God's mercy is not abstract: it becomes a concrete gesture, transforms realities, and restores human dignity.
Thus, starting in the Netherlands, with courage and faith, our sisters crossed borders to bring mercy to the world, always responding to the needs of the time and place:
Netherlands (1832) • Belgium (1840) • England (1861) • United States (1874)
Indonesia (1885) • Brazil (1962) • Ireland (1976) • Philippines (1966–1970 / return in 1995)
Each new mission is born from the encounter between real needs and our vocation to serve.
Throughout this missionary journey, the Congregation expresses a particular way of living the Gospel: seeing Christ in the poor, the wounded, the excluded, and the oppressed. The mission is not limited to providing services, but seeks to promote justice, inclusion, and social transformation—so that all people may have a full and dignified life.
Today, the mission remains alive and bold. The Sisters of Charity work in schools, clinics, hospitals, social and pastoral projects, always with an attentive eye on those who suffer and on new forms of poverty. The charism of mercy remains as a light that guides, inspires, and sends forth. It drives each sister and each collaborator to be a presence of tenderness in the world, witnessing to the love of St. Vincent de Paul and Our Lady Mother of Mercy, who welcome, strengthen, and lead to a liberating encounter with Jesus Christ.
With faith, courage, and dedication, the Sisters continue to build history: helping lives to flourish, healing wounds, and sowing hope where it seems to be lacking. Because the mission is permanent. Because love has no boundaries. Because God's mercy is infinite.