Foundation of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary
The Foundation of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary (MSHR) began in 1924. Bishop Joseph Shanahan gathered seven women to start the new congregation. Three of these women had already worked as lay missionaries at St. Joseph’s Girls’ School in Calabar, Nigeria. Wanting to empower women in Southern Nigeria, Bishop Shanahan set up the new congregation in Drumully House, near Killeshandra, Co. Cavan, Ireland, on March 7, 1924.
Seated: Agnes Ryan, Bishop Shanahan CSSp, Ellen Burns. Standing: Georgina O’ Dwyer, Christina Shannon, Fr. P. J. Whitney, Nora Leddy, Veronica Hasson, Elizabeth Ryan.
The seven women were guided in their early days by the Dominican Sisters in Killeshandra, Dublin. In February 1924, four Dominican Sisters — Mother Xavier O’Connor, Aquinas McSwiggan, Ursula Cullen, and Anastasia Hickey — came to Cavan to mentor them. Their support gave strength and helped the new congregation grow with confidence.
The Dominican Sisters stayed with the Holy Rosary Sisters until 1934. During this time, they helped shape the early years of the congregation. In the decades that followed, the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary grew quickly in both numbers and mission work. Today, the congregation serves in fifteen countries across Africa, the Americas, and Europe. The Foundation of the Missionary Sisters –
of the Holy Rosary continues to inspire their work around the world.
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