History
The History of St. Teresa's Convent
St. Teresa's School Ode | Photos
The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary was founded in 1877 in India by a group of young “Religious” under the leadership of Mary of the Passion. Helen de Chapotin was born in Brittany in 1839. She was a prayerful young lady and was active in the church. She was very concerned about Pope Pius IX who at that time in history was held a captive in the Vatican. Helen wanted to become a “Religious” but her family was strongly opposed to the idea. Finally, she did join the Poor Clare’s, and with a group of three sisters, she was sent to India where she worked with young women.
After a few years, she and twenty of the sisters broke away from the original group and started a community known as the Missionaries of Mary. Mother Mary of the Passion, the name given to her as a poor Clare, was advised to return to settle certain difficulties.
Acting upon the advice of her spiritual director, she wrote the Rule of the Missionaries of Mary Institute. Through this affiliation, the Institute became Franciscan. After many trials and tribulations, the Foundress received the final approbation of the Rule and of the Institute from the Holy See. In the meantime many young women were seeking admission into this missionary institute, the only one in existence; so much so that through the advice and assistance of the Bishop of the Diocese in France, Mother Mary of the Passion started a Novitiate in St. Brieux, France, which even today is known as “Les Chatelets”. Hundreds of young women from all parts of the world have received their training here as Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Before her death on November 15, 1904, Mary of the Passion had sent sisters to Missions throughout the world on every continent. Seven of the Sisters were martyred in the Boxer Rebellion in China in the 1900, and this was considered by the Foundress as a real grace for the Institute.
Sister Maria Assunta Poallota was sent to China to work with the girls. She
died very young during an epidemic of cholera in 1905. She was beatified by
Pope Pius X in 1964. People have been healed of serious illness through her
intercession. The Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary is a world
wide missionary order of women belonging to seventy-two nationalities; over
9000 sisters working in nine hundred convents throughout the world, divided
into fifty provinces with headquarters in Rome.
In a world thirsting for life and searching for its meaning, in a world which
struggles to save life, in a world where life has already triumphed in
Christ’s victory over death, they which to witness to the hope that is within
us by offering our lives joyfully, like Mary, in praise and service.
The Franciscan Mission of Mary committed themselves to a closer following of
Christ in a daily Eucharistic adoration. Franciscan simplicity, peace and joy
- an international family in fidelity to the Church. They work in every field
of postulate according to the needs of the Church and of the times as
catechists and teachers, doctors, nurses and pharmacists, dieticians and
laboratory technicians, psychologists and social workers, artists and
musicians, accountants and administrators. However, at all times we are
especially devoted to the poor and abandoned. Their apostolate is strengthened
through prayer and their Eucharistic devotion.
The late Bishop Collins was instrumental in bringing the Franciscan
Missionaries of Mary to Liberia. He made many visits to the Mother General in
Rome requesting sisters for his Mission until finally in December of 1936, six
Franciscan Missionary of Mary arrived in Monrovia. His Lordship remarked that
he was especially happy to have the sisters because of their daily adoration
and prayers before the Blessed Sacrament exposed.
The Convent building was not finished when the sisters arrived, but his
Lordship proudly installed the missionaries in their own home. There were no
roads in the vicinity and the surroundings were very swampy and infested with
mosquitoes. Consequently two of the sisters became very ill with malaria and
had to be sent home the first year. They were replaced by two other sisters in
1937, one of whom was Sister Edana. Mother assistant who was a nurse started
dispensary work from the beginning on the back verandah of the convent. She
and her companion also visited the sick and the prisoners. A room was rented
in town later for the dispensary. Before long, his Lordship had a dispensary
built on the grounds and subsequently renovated for the sister’s convent.
Boarding students were taken in soon after the sisters arrived, as His
Lordship’s biggest concern was the education of the Liberia girls.
On April 5, 1937, classes were started with sixty children. Small boys were
taken in the Kindergarten through grade four at that time and Archbishop
Michael Francis and another little boy were taken in as boarders. World War
II, which started in 1939, caused many hardships and privations for the
sisters. Kind friends who assisted aided them in their work with the sick and
the children.
PRESIDENT WILLIAM V.S. Tubman took office in January 1945, during his
Presidency, many changes took place, and the country was developing. The
enrollment in the school had increased to the extent that a building was
erected for elementary classrooms in 1947. The beginning of high school
classes in 1948 resulted in starting another building, which was completed in
1956, but used as another elementary building. Mrs. Antoinette Tubman
dedicated the building in 1956.
In 1966, Rev Father Clonan started the existing high school building, which he
completed before returning to Ireland where he died a year later.
The foundation in Sanniquellie was started in 1967, with a clinic for
taking care of the sick. Two years later another convent was opened in Yekepa
where the sisters were administering the school. Many request were made for an
FMM Convent in Gbarnga, and finally in 1974, a foundation was made and the
sisters took charge and taught in the school.
The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary now have five convents in Liberia, the
three mentioned and the two in Monrovia. The first group of sisters came from
the British Isles, but since then, they have had sisters from the USA, Canada,
India, Australia, the Philippines and other European countries.
Saniquellie had a flourishing economics center for the development of women, a
boarding school for girls in high schools, and a clinic with a program for
primary health care in the surrounding village. In Yekepa, in addition to
teaching in the school, the sisters’ apostolate had branched out to a school
in Camp Four and a Church and catheohetical work in the neighboring villages.
The apostolate in Gbarnga now also includes women’s development in several
villages outside Gbarnga.
The sisters at S.T.C. continue with the education of the girls and assist with
Parish work. Promotion of vocations through the Archdiocese and work with
young girls and boys are very important fields of the apostolate.