Our sisters began working in Chittagong and Dhaka in 1845. Today, they focus on education and health care.
Loreto Sisters began working in Chittagong and Dhaka, which was part of undivided India then- in the year 1845. They had to leave this area in 1854. At that time there were 16 Irish Sisters working there. The second entry into this land, by then a new country, Bangladesh, was on 20 th July, 2005.
They initially began to work as teachers. Then in March 2006, St. Alfred’s High School was handed over to them. Since then, they have been involved in its administration and teaching.
In 2019 this school got the permission to introduce Classes XI and XII. They offer business studies and humanities. In Bangladesh, when you have Classes XI and XII in a school, it is referred to as a College. Hence the name has now changed from St. Alfred’s High School to St. Alfred’s School and College.
We are an international multicultural congregation of around 1,800 sisters present in more than 40 countries around the globe. Founded in 1609 by the Venerable Mary Ward, we are a group of unenclosed apostolic religious women, rooted in the Ignatian Spirituality.
We are working in different areas and projects – not out of ourselves, but because we allow ourselves to be sent by God. We form our sisters to be mobile and available, willing to go wherever they are sent. We expect them to strive, like Mary Ward, to have that inner freedom to respond to the call to leave all and follow Christ with passion and compassion.
“Vocation” – a word that tastes of MORE, of what Saint Ignatius of Loyola called “THE MAGIS”: Longing, meaning, fullness of life, a task and the experience of being needed. It sounds like someone who is calling me personally and with whom I can give my life a unique shape.
People all over the world are inspired and enthusiastic about Mary Ward and her way of following Jesus. There are different ways to join our network and become part of the wider Mary Ward Family.
Mary Ward once said: “I listened to God’s deep dream for me and felt a longing to respond.”
In this spirit, we invite you to pray with us. We offer a variety of prayers and material for reflection.
