Sisters of Mary
Serving the Lord with Joy!
Facts
Founder: Venerable Aloysius Philip Schwartz (1930-1992)
Founded on: August 15, 1964
Officially decreed as a Diocesan Religious Congregation on : March 2, 1993
Declared as Religious Institute of Pontifical Right: March 2, 2000
Headquarters: Sisters of Mary of Banneux, Inc., Biga II, Silang, Philippines
Let Us Serve the Lord with Joy!
The Sisters of Mary are a religious congregation of more than 400 Sisters who operate our charitable programs in the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras, and Tanzania. In each country, the Sisters work to not only give children a safe roof over their heads, food, and education, but also prepare them in their culture and environment for a better future in their own country — at no charge to their families.
In addition to taking care of more than 20,000 poor children each year, the Sisters also maintain homes, hospitals, schools, and vocational training programs.
The pillars of formation for children in the care of the Sisters are the same as those instituted by the founder, Fr. Al, many years ago: Study, Play, Work, and Pray. Under the care of the Sisters of Mary, the children enjoy a Christian education and see in them a convincing model of this education. The Sisters and their great dedication continue to inspire the children they care for to lead virtuous lives in service to others.
The motto of the Sisters is ‘Let us serve the Lord with joy!’
“God Calls. We Respond”
Monsignor Aloysius Schwartz, a missionary priest who dedicated his life to helping poor children, founded the Sisters of Mary on August 15, 1964 to serve the poorest of the poor. The Sisters of Mary owe their name to the Banneux pilgrimage site in Belgium, where the mother of God is honored as the benefactress of the poor.
Mother Superior, Sister Elena Belarmino, succeeds today the deceased priest of the poor, Aloysius Schwartz – after taking over from Sister Maria Cho in April 2023. Sister Elena directs the congregation as well as all the institutions they run.
The Sisters of Mary are recognized as a congregation by decree of the Catholic Church, and have the consideration of the Church as well as the State. They are headquartered in Biga, near Manila in the Philippines.
Learn more about the spirituality of the Sisters of Mary here.
“It is not enough to give the poor food and clothing. They need education that gives them the skills to build a dignified existence for themselves.”
– Fr. Aloysius Schwartz, Founder
