In 1873, two years after the death of Eugénie Smet, foundress of the Society of the Helpers of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, a community of Sisters was established in London.
This community was created thanks to the wishes of several aristocratic Catholic women who had been deeply impressed by the Helper Sisters they had met in Paris, and who were determined to ‘reawaken’ the Catholic faith in their homeland.
These women helped to find a property in which to set up the first community of HELPERS, who soon began their ministry within the wider community, caring for the sick poor and offering Catechism classes to the local children.
The Sisters’ mission in London then developed, in diverse ways, some of them particularly innovative, with the establishment of Youth Groups, the offering of training and qualifications in Child Care to all those Religious who had Orphanages and Children’s Homes and a new development in Catechetics nationally through Sr. Romain (Anne de Sousberghe).
The care of the homeless and the sick poor continued.
The fourteen Sisters of the British group, based in London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh, now live alone, in networked communities where possible, with the exception of those Sisters in need of nursing care. Since the Covid pandemic, the Sisters have become well acquainted with video conferencing and meet regularly to pray and reflect together.
At the same time, those Sisters who are able to do so, meet together once or twice a year for several days, enabling them to strengthen their relationships and exchange ideas in greater depth.
These get-togethers also enable the Sisters to celebrate special events, such as congregational feasts or important milestones such as jubilees and anniversaries.
“Together in unity, recognising our limitations, we wish to explore ways to continue to live our fidelity, to enjoy our lives, going the extra mile, helping to do good in whatever way we can.”
Our missions
The Sisters of the British Group are present among the people within the districts of London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh, where they live.
