The Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was founded in Poland in 1888, at a time of large-scale migration from villages to cities in search of work. Many young women found themselves in the morally difficult environment of urban factories. This prompted the foundation of a community of sisters dedicated to a hidden, humble life and apostolic service in society. The sisters upheld Christian ideals among workers by sharing their workplaces, helping them find accommodation and assisting them in difficult circumstances.
The Congregation’s activities quickly spread across the present-day territories of Poland, russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine, where at that time they were present only in Lutsk.
1939–1957 — a period of trial for the sisters amid war, persecution and repression.
1969 — at the invitation of local priests, the sisters came to Lviv.
1975 — they were welcomed and invited to serve in Kyiv and Khmelnytskyi.
1980 — new places of ministry continued to open in Ukraine.
2008 — with the permission of the bishops of Ukraine, the sisters established affiliated lay groups, the Devotees of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
“My God and my all in the Blessed Sacrament” is our Congregation’s motto. It reminds us that the sisters, devoted in a special way to Mary’s Heart, dedicate themselves to prayer, work and the apostolate, seeking to spread devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Blessed Honorat Koźmiński and the co-foundress, Mother Aniela Godecka, wished our Congregation to be deeply imbued with the spirit of the Gospel and its life to be centred on Jesus Christ.
The emblem is, in a sense, the Congregation’s official calling card. It expresses the meaning of our life — spirituality and charism — as a unified whole. Every element is important.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary — a heart burning with love for God and humanity, pierced by the sword of sorrow at Jesus’ suffering and the continual offences against the Lord caused by human sin.
The Host — the sign of God’s own presence, the source of true and living love and the centre of our spiritual life.
The Infant Jesus — the humility of God’s Son is revealed most fully in the Incarnation, when he took human flesh to be “God with us”. He teaches us humility and, with it, hiddenness.
The crossed hands of Jesus and St Francis of Assisi — a symbol of Franciscan spirituality.
Ora et labora — pray and work: remain in contemplation and serve others, neglecting neither.
Our charism is our service in and for the Church, in accordance with what the Congregation’s founders entrusted to us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The principal apostolic task of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is to sustain faith and foster Christian life in society, especially among workers.
We seek to fulfil this mission in the following ways:
Staying as close as possible to workers in different occupations: we work alongside them without revealing that we are religious sisters, and we do not wear a habit.
Helping young women obtain education and vocational qualifications: we run a residence for girls.
Proclaiming Christ by every possible means: assisting priests in parish pastoral ministry through catechesis for children, young people and adults and work in the sacristy; serving in schools as teachers and educators; and working in Catholic media.
Providing care for children whose parents work long hours: we run kindergartens, after-school centres and a children’s home; in one parish, we prepare lunches for schoolchildren from low-income families.
Helping the sick and suffering, especially older people: we work in a residential care home for older people and in hospitals.
Serving future priests: we work in a seminary kitchen.
Restoring spiritual and physical strength depleted by daily work: we run a holiday house, a retreat house and holiday homes for children.
How do we do all this? Through prayer and work. We want to be united with working people, proclaiming the “Gospel of work” through our lives.
The Congregation’s Charism as Given by Its Founders
A charism is a dynamic reality. An awareness of this dynamism is woven into the history and present life of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It emerged in response to the pressing problems of the rapidly growing working class. Blessed Honorat Koźmiński OFM Cap (1829–1916) observed that “factories have become the embodiment of materialism in our time (…). It was necessary to send Christ’s apostles there too, like sheep among wolves, so that through their humility they might turn wolves into sheep.” He asked Aniela Róża Godecka (1861–1937) to care for women factory workers. In responding to Fr Honorat’s request, Aniela Róża became co-foundress of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This took place on 4 October 1888 in Zakroczym, Poland.