Serve God with great love and liberty of mind.
Loreto Sisters have lived in Ho Chi Minh City for over 15 years and work in various ministries. There are six professed Vietnamese Sisters. Some of the Sisters are involved in managing St Mary’s Hostel for disadvantaged young Catholic women from the countryside who go to university or college in the city.
Recently, two Sisters have responded to a new need in Vinh Loc – Binh Chanh, a very poor area on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. Here, they are involved in pastoral work, providing meals, and teaching.
Others are studying theology and teaching in charity schools (schools allowed by the government for disadvantaged students who cannot attend government schools), and one Sister is a nurse working in a clinic. Also, one of the Vietnamese Sisters is missioned to Gari-uai, a village near Baucau, Timor-Leste, where she oversees a vibrant kindergarten and community centre.
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.
