St. Patrick’s Province, Ireland
The Sisters of St. John of God were founded in Wexford, Ireland in 1871 to care for the sick and dying. Their first ministry was the nursing of the sick, both rich and poor in their own homes. One year later they extended their care to the patients in the Infirmary of the local Workhouse.
They became involved in the education of children in the schoolrooms of the Workhouse and in 1875 they expanded this ministry by taking on the running of a school in Wexford town.
During the next twenty five years, the Sisters though small in number, responded generously to many calls to care for the sick and educate the young in Counties Wexford, Kilkenny and Waterford.
In 1895, eight Sisters left Ireland and travelled to Perth, West Australia to open a foundation at the invitation of Bishop Gibney.
Two Missions were opened in Africa, Nigeria in 1960 and Cameroon in 1974. Although the Sisters no longer work in these African countries they presently minister to HIV/AIDS sufferers in South Africa.
In addition to the original ministries of nursing and teaching, the Sisters began the ministry of caring for seminarians in Ecclesiastical Colleges in Rome, England and Ireland.
Today the Sisters in Ireland are still committed to education in schools and healthcare in public hospitals but the focus of ministry has broadened to include adult education, spiritual accompaniment, counselling, parish and youth ministry, aged-care and catering services, community health, hospital chaplaincy, hospice care and ministry to refugees and asylum seekers.
A Retreat Centre by the sea in Ballyvaloo Wexford provides a welcome oasis from the stresses and tensions of modern life. It offers a variety of retreats, spirituality programmes, complementary therapies and holiday opportunities.
If you would like to read more about the Sisters in St. Patrick's Province, click here.
"In their ministry of holistic health care, education, catering services, pastoral and social work and in all their activities, the concern of the members is ultimately the building up of the Kingdom of God"
Constitutions: 5