The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood, founded in 1947, is an international congregation of religious sisters that serves in 11 countries, both in the developed and developing world. It serves in various schools, prisons, and hospitals.
In 1884 a small group of Franciscan Tertiaries began in Holly Place, London, helping in the parish. They formed a religious congregation called, "The Missionary Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis for the Home Missions" in 1896. Initially 4 communities spread over 3 dioceses, only two (Littlehampton and Aldershot) remained in 1911. The Aldershot group cared for over 100 orphans.[1]
In 1917, the Aldershot community came under the leadership of Mother Colette, received permission to take postulants. Blanche Spring, later known as Mother Francis, joined the community. In 1925 The first sisters were sent to train as nurses including Sr Francis Spring and in 1935 the first hospital, Mount Alvernia, was opened in Guildford (UK). Mother Francis Spring was elected Mother General in 1937.
In 1942, the Missionary Sisters of Saint Francis established their first foundation outside of Britain with a small maternity hospital/nursing home in the Mount Pleasant section of Ballinasloe. John Dignan, Bishop of Clonfert invited them to found a hospital and to that end donated land in the Brackernagh area. In 1945 Portiuncula Hospital opened.[2]
In 1947, the Congregation was renamed Franciscan Missionaries, of the Divine Motherhood and became a Congregation of Pontifical Right.[3]