OUR WORK ABOUT US NEWS SIGN UP GET INVOLVED DONATE LOGIN THE SISTERS OF MARY The Sisters of Mary are an independent, Christian humanitarian institution devoted to helping the poor in the developing world. The Sisters have been operating their charitable programmes for more than fifty years in the poorest communities of large and overcrowded cities. ABOUT THE SISTERS OF MARY The Sisters of Mary consist of more than 370 Sisters who operate their charitable programmes in the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras and Tanzania. In each country, the Sisters are devoted to giving the impoverished children they help a better future by providing a safe roof over their heads, food, healthcare and education. Monsignor Aloysius Schwartz, a missionary priest who dedicated his life to helping poor children, founded the Sisters of Mary on August 15, 1964 to serve the poorest of the poor. The Sisters of Mary owe their name to the Banneux pilgrimage site in Belgium, where the mother of God is honoured as the benefactress of the poor. The motto of the Sisters is 'Let us serve the Lord with joy!' The Sisters of Mary are recognised as a congregation by decree of the Catholic Church, and have the consideration of the Church as well as the State. They are headquartered in Biga, near Manila in the Philippines. Sister Michaela took over from Father Schwartz in running the programmes in 1992 and from 2011 she was supported on a day-to-day basis by Sister Maria Cho. Sister Michaela died in March 2019. Sister Maria as Superior General directs the congregation as well as all the humanitarian programmes they run. Under the care of the Sisters of Mary, the children enjoy a value-led education which provides a sound framework for the learning and development of capable and independent adults who, in turn, are able to support those in their local communities, extending the humanitarian aims of the Sisters' programmes. The Sisters of Mary are an official religious order of more than 370 Sisters, who have dedicated their lives to helping poor children, by decree of the Catholic Church. Sister Tess posing with a beautiful little girl named Rose, who was living in the Payatas garbage dump. SISTER MARIA CHO Superior General, Board Member and President The director of the congregation, Sr. Maria Cho, was born on 11 November 1956 in the town of Kwang-Ju in South Korea. Her civilian name is Duck-Lim Cho. It is in this great rebellious city of the South-West of the peninsula (at the centre of the revolt against the military regime over thirty years ago), that she also went to school. After completing the Kwang-ju Women's High School in 1975, she worked as a cashier at the Central Bank. Six years later, she entered the congregation. She was initially responsible for the kindergarten in Pusan, and later placed in charge of the Boystown in Seoul. In 1990, Father Al sent Sister Maria to Manila and entrusted her with responsibility for patients at the Q. I. Hospital. During the years that followed, she worked in the homes of Silang and Talisay. In 1999, she was given leadership of the finance department. Before being elected Superior General, she was in charge of Biga's Girlstown with 3,400 girls. Sister Maria Cho succeeded Sr. Michaela Kim as head of the congregation and charity programmes. Read more about Sister Maria Cho. It is not enough to give the poor food and clothing. They need education that gives them the skills to build a dignified existence for themselves." - Fr. Aloysius Schwartz, founder JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP US TO CARE FOR MORE CHILDREN IN NEED Contact Information Phone: 0207 629 3050 Email: enquiries@worldvillages.org.uk Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square London SW1P 3HQ About Us Our Team The Sisters of Mary Meet our Founder Father Al Work for us Our Work Vision, mission and values Our Impact Our Villages Stories from the Villages Accountability and Transparency Safeguarding Resource Centre News Blog Covid-19 Connect Contact Us Prayer Request Social Dashboard Join Our Mailing List World Villages for Children is a registered charity number 1058973. Supporter Promise Privacy Notice Map © 2021