The congregation of St. Mary of Namur was founded in the years following the French Revolution. Father Minsart, a religious of the Order of St. Bernard, who was appointed pastor of St. Loup Church in 1813, was deeply troubled by the plight of young girls in his parish. With no resources or education, deep poverty forced them into the most menial of tasks and even prostitution. In 1819, he asked two young women to open a sewing workshop so that skills and basic education could be offered. With these humble beginnings on November 11, Josephine Sana and Elizabeth Berger began the educational efforts of what eventually became the mission of the Sisters of St. Mary.

Other young women soon came to join them, and, by 1834, the women were recognized as a religious congregation, approved by Bishop Barrett of Namur. On September 21, 1834, sixteen sisters received the habit. Among this group was Sister Claire of Jesus, who would be elected superior shortly before Father Minsart’s death in 1837. For the next thirty-six years, she led the community, devoting herself to forming the religious spirit of the sisters.

The sisters were excellent teachers, believing in providing spiritual development and educational opportunities to children, especially the poor. The sisters established schools and academies in Belgium, and, in 1863, Mother Claire sent the first missionaries of the congregation to the United States of America. The Sisters came to Texas in 1873, continuing the venture into unknown places.

Today the sisters are still educators and passionate supporters of non-violence, promoting the pursuit of peace and continuing their work in education, health care, prison ministries, immigration, and adult formation. The sisters maintain missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Cameroon, Tanzania, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.