Holy Rosary Sisters

It never ceases to amaze me the awesome ability of women, throughout the world, to lead heroic lives for the sake of the Kingdom. I am talking, of course, about religious sisters and today, on the feast of Our Lady of the rosary, I pay special thanks to the Holy Rosary Sisters; three of whom are in our parish. They tirelessly work in and around the City for the good of the poor. If, like I was, you are unfamiliar with their work and history, then their website explains:


The ideal that animates and energizes the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary is best expressed in the Founder's words:

“Our sole occupation and thought; God, and all God’s children. How to love Him and how to bring others to praise and love Him for all eternity.”

Bishop Joseph Shanahan was a man of intense Missionary zeal born of contemplation. His goal of evangelization was to enable people to become aware of the presence of Christ within themselves.

In speaking to the first volunteers to the Congregation in 1924, he said:

“The life you are preparing to undertake is one that makes exceptional demands: there is needed a soul of profound spirituality with a clear vision of its great purpose…. The missionary cannot sanctify others unless she herself possesses the spirit of sanctification; unless she herself is filled with the Spirit of Christ.”

Today, in fidelity to the missionary spirituality and charism of our founder we go out as prophetic women of faith and prayer, filled with missionary zeal. We witness to Gospel values in living interculturally. We allow the marginalized to challenge us to become more compassionate, so that together we create a truly human world.

At the core of our reality as Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary is missioning – the readiness to be sent, to go beyond the boundaries of our own country and culture to find, nurture, and share the Good News with those in any kind of need, especially with the poor, oppressed and exploited through the ministries of healing, education, pastoral work and community development…. always searching for new ways in which to find and nurture the seed that is Christ in every culture …the living hope of liberation.

Realising that for some it may not always be possible to go beyond geographical boundaries, we affirm that our charism is also expressed in crossing frontiers wherever we are: frontiers of faith, frontiers that relate to the dignity of the human person.

As women we are called to express the feminine way of being on mission in our world. As we go about our apostolates, we are touching God’s presence within us and within the heart of our world.

As Missionary daughters of Bishop Shanahan we try to be contemplative in our approach to life, seeing God in everyone and everything, with the eyes of love and compassion.