Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of The Good Shephered
The Congregation of Our Lady of the Charity of the Good Shepherd is an international apostolic religious institute of pontifical right. As women religious, called to a mission of reconciliation, we, Sisters of the Good Shepherd express our charism of merciful love through an apostolic life or a contemplative life.
United in the same charism, we commit ourselves to live the gospel in the spirit of our foundress, St. Mary Euphrasia.
OUR MISSION AND SPIRIT
Jesus the Good Shepherd has called us to live in union with him and continue his redemptive mission in the Church. We live this inseparable reality of our vocation in community through prayer, sisterly love, the evangelical counsels and the vow of zeal.
The Church entrusts to us a share of her mission of reconciliation. United with all the people in their struggle with sin and in their need for reconciliation, we witness among them to the power of this mercy.
The continued experience of mercy in all aspects of our lives sends us to be a presence of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. We are envoys for him.
“Apostolic Sisters
We announce the message of reconciliation through a ministry of charity and evangelization directed towards persons wounded by sin and its consequences. Our specific orientation is to girls and women whose condition in life cries out for the healing and salvation which Jesus alone can bring. We are deeply committed to their human and spiritual healing and to their integral development. Since the well being of the person is intimately linked to that of the family, we strive to serve them in the context of the family and the society in which they live. We also respond to other apostolic needs which are in accord with our mission.
Contemplative Sisters
We witness to the absolute primacy of God and seek to be a means of reconciliation by our prayer, gospel asceticism, solitude and silence.
We pray for the Church and for the entire world. With Jesus, we give ourselves up to ardent intercession that the beauty of God’s image be revealed in each person. In a particular way, we support the endeavors of our Sisters who are engaged in the active ministry of reconciliation. (Constitution of the Good Shepherd Sisters)
Our commitment to reconciliation demands that we promote justice and peace in a world disturbed by sin and conflict. We collaborate to help bring about change in whatever condemns others to live a marginalized life.
We are also committed to the care of whole creation, our common heritage.
We find inspiration and guidance for our mission in sacred scripture and in the teachings of St. John Eudes and St. Mary Euphrasia. Like them, we draw our spirit of zeal from the Heart of Jesus and Mary. It is an evangelical spirit of welcome, kindness, understanding and loving service which gives witness to the value of each person.
We find the spirit of our congregation in the Heart of Mary, Mother of our institute and model of our consecrated life. With Mary we strive to show forth the mystery of God’s merciful love and live to the praise and glory of the most Blessed Trinity.
Answering to the call of the Good Shepherd, to be a presence of the merciful love of our Heavenly Father, on 17th September 1975 four zealous Srilankan missionaries; Sisters, Dominic Savio, Paulinus Jayachandran, Kalyani Appuhamy and Yolanda Fernando arrived in Pakistan. After a short transit in Karachi, they reached Multan and were warmly welcome at the airport by Bishop Bertrand Boland OP then Bishop of Multan, Bro. Emmanuel Principal of LaSalle High School Sr. Benedicta of St. Mary’s Convent in Multan. The four sisters stayed with Dominican Sisters in St. Mary’s Convent in Multan until they shifted to their new mission.
Having spent some time to learn the language, culture and the way of life, the Sisters were ready to begin their apostolic works.
His Lordship Bishop Boland gave them the opportunity to choose the place, where they want to begin the Good Shepherd Mission. So the first mission station of the Good Shepherd Sister’s was begun on the 19th of January 1976 in the village Fatimapur in the dioceses of Multan.
Hence the beginning of the journey of the Good Shepherd in Pakistan.
At present Good Shepherd Sisters are serving in the dioceses of Multan, Lahore, Karachi and the Vicariate of Quetta.
It was in the year 2004 the Good Shepherd Sisters visited the Prefecture of Quetta with the invitation of Late Bishop Victor Ganapragasam OMI, to see to the possibilities and to look for a suitable place for the Sisters to begin their ministries. Having visited few places in the prefecture, the Sisters prefered to begin their mission in Christian town, St.Pious X Church which was then a part of the Holy Rosary Parish.
On the 6th of June 2006, the day we celebrate the Feast of Blessed Maria Droste ( a Congregatioanl Feast) the Good Shepherd Sisters established their ministries in the prefecture of Quetta. The mission house which was alredy there became the residence of the Sisters.
This Good Shepherd community was comprised with three Sisters; Sisters Paul Wavita, Marie Lourdes and Maqsood Kala. Their main apostolate was to attend to the pastoral needs of the faithful in the parish while one of the Sisters served as the principal of the St. Francis Grammar Nursery Section.
Considering the well-being of the Sisters and their apostolate, the Prefecture constructed a new building in 2012 for the residence of the Good Shepherd Sisters which enabled the Sisters to accommodate the girls and women who need temporary shelter and care in times of crisis in their lives.
Along with the Sisters, there is also a group of dedicated women and men who are involved with the mission of the Good Shepherd Sisters in St. Pious the X parish.
In 2014, expanding the Services in the Vicariate of Quetta the Good Shepherd Sisters accepted the request of the Salesian Fathers to take care of the girls in the Laura Vicuna Girl’s Home. The purpose of this Girls Home is to provide better accommodation to the young girls who want to access to the education facilities at Don Bosco Learning Center, Quetta.
We continue our services in the pastoral care of the parishioners in St. Pious X parish as well as in the education field. The spirit of Jesus the Good Shepherd which animates Salesian Fathers and the Good Shepherd Sisters ignites our services to the young in the Vicariate of Quetta.