About Us
History
RGS in the Philippines
Beginnings
The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd was founded by St. Mary Euphrasia in Angers, France in 1835. Born Rose Virginie Pelletier in Noirmoutier, France on July 31, 1796, she joined the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity (whose houses are known as the Refuge) at the age of 18 and received the name Sr Mary of St Euphrasia on her clothing day. The Sisters of Our Lady of Charity was a congregation founded by St. John Eudes in 1641. It had a convent in Tours, France and was devoted to the rescue of “fallen” women and the protection of girls who were homeless and vulnerable to exploitation.
Elected to head the congregation in 1825, Sr. Mary Euphrasia opened a new foundation in the city of Angers, France, of which she eventually became the superior in 1831. While in Angers, she received growing support for her idea that if the work of the Sisters was to grow, then their religious houses or convents should be organized by and under the direction of a Generalate. This was contrary to the prevailing norm and structure of the congregation then, which gave full autonomy and independence to the houses.
In 1835, Pope Gregory granted approval for the establishment of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, and the convent in that city to be its Mother-House. This made it possible to coordinate the houses that were eventually opened from a central administration. It led to the growth of the congregation, beyond France, across Europe, as well as in other continents.
At the time of her death on April 24, 1868, there were already 110 foundations established in all the five continents. The last of the Good Shepherd houses established during the lifetime of St. Mary Euphrasia was in Rangoon, Burma in 1866. It was from this convent that the first Good Shepherd Irish missionaries were sent to the Philippines. In September 1912, they boarded the ship Shangchoon for the journey to Manila, and to their eventual destination in the Diocese of Lipa in Batangas where they arrived on Oct 4, 1912. It was on the invitation of Bishop Joseph Petrelli that the sisters came.
About three decades later, the Good Shepherd presence would be likewise established in Japan. The first Sisters to begin the ministry in Japan came in response to an invitation from the Dominican Prelate, Most Rev. Andre Dumas, O.P., then Bishop of Sendai. They arrived from Canada on November 20, 1935.
Our Vision
What We Do
OUR CHARISM, MISSION AND SPIRIT
Charism of Merciful Love
As women religious, we, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, express our charism of merciful love through an apostolic life or a contemplative life.
Our Spirit
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has called us to live in union with him and continue his redemptive mission in the Church. God has consecrated us for this purpose through the gift of his love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Father, who is rich in mercy, sent his Son to bring good news to the poor, to set free the oppressed, to heal the contrite of heart, to seek and to save what was lost.
We find inspiration and guidance for our mission in sacred scripture and in the teachings of St. John Eudes and St. Mary Euphrasia. Like them, we draw our spirit of zeal from the Heart of Jesus and Mary. It is an evangelical spirit of welcome, kindness, understanding, and loving service which gives witness to the value of each person.
We find the spirit of our congregation in the Heart of Mary, Mother of our institute and model of our consecrated life. With Mary we strive to show forth the mystery of God’s merciful love and live to the praise and glory of the Blessed Trinity.
Mission of Reconciliation
The Church entrusts to us a share in her mission of reconciliation. This demands an awareness that we ourselves are always in need of conversion. In our unceasing return to our compassionate God, we discover the depth of our sinfulness and in openness to God’s initiative of love we find mercy. United with all people in their struggle with sin and in their need for reconciliation, we witness among them to the power of this mercy.
As apostolic sisters, we announce the message of reconciliation through a ministry of charity and evangelization directed towards persons wounded by sin and its consequences. Our specific orientation is to girls and women whose condition in life cries out for the healing and salvation which Jesus alone can bring. We are deeply committed to their human and spiritual healing and to their integral development.
As Contemplative Sisters, we witness to the absolute primacy of God and seek to be a means of reconciliation by our prayer, gospel asceticism, solitude and silence. We pray for the Church and for the entire world. With Jesus , we give ourselves up to ardent intercession that the beauty of God’s image be revealed in each person. In a particular way, we support the endeavours of our Sisters who are engaged in the active ministry of reconciliation.
Our commitment to reconciliation demands that we promote justice and peace in a world disturbed by sin and conflict. We collaborate to help bring about change in whatever condemns others to live a marginalized life.
Where we are
APOSTOLIC COMMUNITIES
- Provincialate- Baguio
- GSC-EC Community
- NCR-Bicol Community
- Heart of Mary Villa
- Welcome House/Tahanan
- Naga
- Legaspi
- CALABARZON
- Bukid Kabataan
- Maryridge / Bahay Pastulan
- Batangas Community
- VISMIN Community
- Villa Maria Cebu
- CDO/Iligan/Bukidnon
- COW Davao
- Kalilid, Agusan Sur
CONTEMPLATIVE COMMUNITY
- Virac
- Cebu
- Butuan
Address & Location Details
GOOD SHEPHERD PRESENCE IN THE WORLD
- NORTH AMERICA
- MONTREAL, CANADA
- CENTRAL SOUTH US
- MID-NORTH AMERICA
- NEW YORK-TORONTO
- LATIN AMERICA
- ARGENTINA/URUGUAY
- BOLIVIA/CHILE
- CENTRAL AMERICA (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Honduras)
- COLUMBIA-VENEZUELA
- ECUADOR
- MEXICO
- PERU
- SOUTH EAST LATIN AMERICA (Brazil, Paraguay)
- AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST
- ANGOLA/MOZAMBIQUE
- EASTERN CENTRAL AFRICA (Kenya, Congo, South Sudan, Uganda)
- EGYPT/SUDAN
- LEBANON/SYRIA
- LES ISLES (Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion)
- SOUTH AFRICA
- WEST AFRICA (Senegal, Burkina Faso)
- EUROPE
- AUSTRIA/SWITZERLAND/CZECH REPUBLIC
- EUROPE-BFMN (Belgium, France, Hungary, Netherlands)
- GERMANY
- GREAT BRITAIN
- IRELAND
- SOUTHERN EUROPE (Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain)
- ASIA-PACIFIC
- AUSTRALIA/AOTEAROA & NEW ZEALAND
- CENTRAL EAST INDIA/NEPAL
- EAST ASIA (Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia)
- SOUTH WEST INDIA
- INDONESIA
- NORTH EAST ASIA (South Korea, Taiwan, China-Hong Kong, Macau)
- PHILIPPINES/JAPAN
- SINGAPORE/MALAYSIA
- SRI LANKA/PAKISTAN