History
1930s
June 27, 1932
Establishment of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (257 Sangsu-guri, Pyongyang)
Founder: John E. Morris (Mok, I-se), M.M., 2nd Prefect of Pyongyang
Founder: John E. Morris (Mok, I-se), M.M., 2nd Prefect of Pyongyang
March 1935
First Postulancy Acceptance Ceremony (5 members)
June 27, 1935
Sister Agneta Chang, MM appointed as an assistant of a novice mistress of the formation house
September 27, 1936
Founder John E. Morris, M.M., resigns as Prefect of Pyongyang and returns to USA
Feb. 25, 1938
The Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help were recognized as a Congregation of diocesan right, with the Formation House and the Constitution officially approved by the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.
June 27, 1938
The first novitiate ceremony (16 novices), Sister Agneta Chang, M.M. appointed as a novice mistress of the formation house
Group photo with the founder
1940s
June 27, 1940
First First Vows Ceremony (11 members)
Dec. 13, 1941
Sister Agneta Chang, M.M., appointed as Superior General of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
June 03, 1942
Congregation Motherhouse relocated to the Seopo Bishop's Residence in Pyongyang
First Profession Ceremony of the Order
1950s
May 14, 1950
Temporary dissolution of the congregation due to the North Korean government’s seizure of the convent building
(Number of members at the time: 27 professed nuns, 4 novices, and 4 postulants)
(Number of members at the time: 27 professed nuns, 4 novices, and 4 postulants)
Nov. 08, 1951
Consecration ceremony of the new Motherhouse within the Maryknoll Convent grounds in Daecheong-dong, Busan
Sep. 12, 1952
First Perpetual Vows Ceremony (5 members)
April 19, 1955
Motherhouse and Formation House relocated to 186-4, Heukseok-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul (near the present-day Heukseok-dong parish church)
June 28, 1957
First Regular General Assembly held
Oct. 23, 1959
Establishment of a branch for Formation House in Hyoja-dong, Chuncheon
(Sponsored by Bishop Thomas Quinlan, S.S.C., Bishop of Chuncheon Diocese)
(Sponsored by Bishop Thomas Quinlan, S.S.C., Bishop of Chuncheon Diocese)
1960s
Sep. 26, 1964
Motherhouse relocated to San 1-15, Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
Nov. 08, 1964
First overseas mission established at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (Herz-Jesu-Dortmund-Hörde) in Dortmund, West Germany. Nursing school student aspirants were dispatched to Germany for training and service.
Nov. 11, 1966
New Motherhouse building completed in Jeongneung-dong (extended in 1970; Chuncheon Formation House trainees relocated to the Jeongneung Motherhouse)
Feb. 02, 1969
‘Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Foundation’ established
July 2, 1969
New construction of Heukseok-dong St. Mary’s Hospital completed (closed on February 28, 1980)
Nov. 23, 1969
Reissuance of the newsletter 「Sursum Corda」, previously published in North Korea. Renamed 「Perpetual Help」 from the October 1971 issue.)
1980s
1980
Establishment of a community(house) of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (formerly Gangnam St. Mary's Hospital); dispatch of nursing nuns
1982
Operation begins at Seoul Welfare Center for the disabled (Contract expired in 2018)
May 14, 1982
Establishment of "Garden of Peace" to honor members who could not go down to South Korea and those who passed away
Oct. 1983
Reissue of the Certificate of the Establishment of the Religious Order from Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in Rome
1984
Entrusted operation of Municipal Nursing Home in Seoul (Contract expired in 2016)
1984
Dispatch of parish and Home Nursing Care nuns to Dorsten, Germany (Closed in 2014)
1985
Operation of Chungju Sungsim School (Special School for the Deaf) under the Diocese of Cheongju
Oct. 30, 1985
Start of mission work in the U.S. (New Jersey Korean Catholic Church)
1987
Registration of Living with Scripture Publishers
1988
Establishment of the Catholic Bible Life Movement in the Americas (Los Angeles)
Dispatched members to the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People (formerly the Seoul North Korea Mission Committee)
Dispatched members to the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People (formerly the Seoul North Korea Mission Committee)
March 27, 1989
Takeover of the 'Social Welfare Corporation MyeongHwiwon,' founded by Prince Yeongchin's wife, Mrs. Lee Bang-ja (initially operated on consignment in 1985)
1990s
Aug. 19, 1991
Consecration of the Suji Mary's Education Center (Suji, Diocese of Suwon)
1993
Establishment of the Bible Academy with Perpetual Help (BAPH)
Jan. 29, 1994
Publication of the inherent prayer book 「Lift up Your Heart 」
April 26, 1994
Missionary work in China Begins
Jan. 06, 1995
Missionary Work in Peru Begins
Feb. 1998
Blessing of the Suji St.Mary's House (currently the site of the Suji St.Mary Nursing Home)
2000s
Aug. 15, 2001
Blessing Ceremony for the Reconstruction of Jeongneung Formation House
Dec. 08, 2001
Granted the Status of a Congregation of Pontifical Right
June 27, 2002
Inauguration of a Regional System (General Headquarters, Region 1, 2, and 3)
Aug. 17, 2006
Missionary Work in the Philippines Begins
Aug. 01, 2009
Launch of the Lay Monastic Retreat
2010s
May 28, 2010
Missionary work in the Kazakhstan Begins
Aug. 30, 2011
Launch of the Catholic Bible Life Movement in Northern California, USA
June 17, 2012
Blessing ceremony of the Bible Study Center (Managed and Operated by the Bible Academy with Perpetual Help)
Sep. 11, 2015
Blessing of the Suji St.Mary Nursing Home (Former Suji St.Mary's House Remodeled and Repurposed)
March 18, 2018
Beginning of the Vietnam Mission
Aug. 21, 2018
Blessing ceremony of the Suji St.Mary's House (Newly Constructed and Relocated)
2020s-
April 30, 2020
Inauguration of the 100th Anniversary Preparation Committee.
2021
Commencement of Overseas Candidates Admissions
Aug. 29, 2021
Publication of the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Book of the Third Order of Our Lady (of Perpetual Help) (Affirming Identity as a Third Order of 'the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help')
June 24, 2022
Blessing Ceremony for the Jeongneung St. Mary's Education Center (Reconstruction of the Former Jeongneung Education Center)
June 27, 2024
Opening of the Congregation History Exhibition Room and the Liturgical Chant Exhibition Room