MARY WARD (1585–1645)
Foundress of the Congregation of Jesus

We, the Sisters of the Congregation of Jesus have, as our inspiration and inheritance, the vision of Mary Ward, who is our Prophetic Foundress (1585–1645).

Mary Ward was born on January 23rd, 1585, in Elizabethan England, at the time of great religious intolerance. As a woman of deep faith, she recognized the need for a sound religious education for young women who would assume responsibilities in society and in the Church. She believed that “women in time to come will do much.”

A woman of vision, Mary saw the potential of women and the importance of their education. In 1609, she left her homeland with a small group of companions to open a school at St. Omer (now in France), where girls were taught reading, writing, sewing, and the principles of Christian life.

From this modest beginning came Mary Ward’s worldwide congregation, whose two branches are known today as the Congregation of Jesus and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loreto Sisters). The mission expanded across five continents, and in 1853 it began in India at Patna.

Mary Ward had a passionate love for integrity, justice, and freedom, and she consistently endeavoured to live out these values. She died on 30th January, 1645.

The inscription on Mary Ward’s tombstone sums up the life of a woman who was ‘Wholly God’s’: