Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate

History & origins

The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary began their mission in Korea in Busan in 1958. The Korean Catholic Encyclopedia records that, at the request of the Church in Busan, six Korean sisters and five foreign sisters entered Korea from Japan on June 26, 1958, and initially stayed for a short time at Donghang Parish. Soon after their arrival, the sisters began apostolic work through English teaching at Teresa Girls’ High School, a sewing room for poor women, and free medical care in the Donghang area.

In May 1960 the congregation established a convent in Yangjeong-dong and moved there. Around the same time, the sisters opened St. Mary’s Clinic near the convent and provided medical care to local residents; this medical apostolate continued for about fifteen years until local medical conditions changed. Educational work also expanded on the Yangjeong convent grounds, with St. Mary’s Girls’ Middle School opening in 1961 and St. Mary’s Girls’ High School in 1964.

As the needs of the local community and the pastoral environment changed, the congregation adjusted its ministries. St. Mary’s Clinic closed in 1975, and the schools also underwent gradual changes; St. Mary’s Girls’ High School was transferred to the Diocese of Busan in 1979. This development shows that the Yangjeong community was not merely a residence but an important early center where religious life, education, and medical missionary service developed together after the congregation entered Korea.