“One person is of more value than the world”
In October 1814, St. Mary Euphrasia responded to the call to join the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of Refuge, a Congregation in France that reached out to women and girls who were marginalised by society.
She had a deep longing and desire for a Congregation that show forth God’s merciful love to the world. To realise her vision, she sought and was granted permission by her Congregation to establish the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (Good Shepherd Sisters) in Angers, France, in 1835. In her lifetime, she saw foundations established in all continents.
Today, the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd is an international congregation. There are Good Shepherd Sisters and collaborators in mission in over 70 countries across the world.
Timeline
2014 - Relocation of Marymount Centre
After 2 years, Good Shepherd Place successfully obtained its TOP on 23 April 2014 (Eve of its Foundress Day). The blessing of Good Shepherd Place was conducted on 1 May 2014. The re-location from Marymount to the new premises was carried out in phases to minimise the disruption to the services. The Good Shepherd Sisters moved into their new convent premises on 13 May 2014, followed by Marymount Centre and its services on 30 May 2014 and 5 June 2014. The new premises was officially opened by Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong on 2 May 2015.
2012 - Development of Good Shepherd Place
After several rounds of negotiation with the SLA, a suitable site was finally found at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh. A Blessing cum Ground Breaking Ceremony was held on 24 April 2012, Feast of St. Mary Euphrasia, to commence the development of the new premises, called the Good Shepherd Place.
2011 - Land Acquisition by Singapore Land Authority
On 19 January 2011, a large portion of the Good Shepherd Sisters’ land at Thomson Road was acquired by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for the construction of the new North-South Expressway. As the Land Acquisition affected the Good Shepherd Convent and some of Marymount Centre’s services, the Sisters had to relocate their Convent and services to another site.
2006 - Establishment of Ahuva Good Shepherd (Children’s Home)
In 2006, Ahuva Good Shepherd was set up to provide a safe and nurturing residential environment for young girls, ranging from age 4 to 16 years old who come from single-parent families or from families in which parents are unable to cope with them due to financial or relationship crisis.
2003 - Transfer of Rose Villa’s Residency to Good Shepherd Centre
In 2003, Rose Villa transferred its residency to the Good Shepherd Centre.
1988 - Re-naming of the Marymount Vocational Centre to Marymount Centre
In keeping with new form of ministries, Marymount Vocational Centre was renamed Marymount Centre on 8 September 1988 and gazetted accordingly. The Sisters invited lay partners who shared the same mission to join them in reaching out to women and children who are marginalised and neglected. Then, the mission of Marymount Centre was managed by a Board of Management, the Sisters and a team of dedicated staff and volunteers.
1986 - 1988 - Establishment of Good Shepherd Centre
In 1986, another group of women who frequently requested for help were ex-women prisoners and women who were abused and battered by their husbands. Hence, a Crisis Shelter was set up in Sembawang in 1986, in collaboration with Catholic Welfare Services, to provide a safe haven for women and children who had to leave home for protection and safety. To serve more clients, the Centre moved to a bigger premises in northern region of Singapore in 1988.
1982 - Establishment of Marian Centre which is now known as Good Shepherd Student Care
In the early 80s, as more mothers joined the workforce, more children were left at home or after school without proper supervision. To support the working mothers, a before and after school care, called Marian Centre, now renamed as Good Shepherd Student Care, was set up in 1982, for children who need adult supervision, and/or come from single-parent and low-income families.
1969 - Re-gazette of Marymount Vocational School to Marymount Vocational Centre
On 21 February 1969, Marymount Vocational School was re-gazetted as “Marymount Vocational Centre”.
1965 - Establishment of Rose Villa
In 1965, the Good Shepherd Sisters set up Rose Villa at Marymount to provide residential care for teenage girls and single women in pregnancy crisis.
1963 - Establishment of Marymount Kindergarten
In 1963, the Sisters established their Marymount Kindergarten at Thomson Road. Both Good Shepherd Convent Kindergarten and Marymount Kindergarten were set up as a social enterprise to fund the social work of the Sisters.
1954 - Establishment of the Good Shepherd Convent Kindergarten & Gazette of Marymount Vocational School as Place of Safety
In 1954, the Sisters set up Good Shepherd Convent Kindergarten at Nallur Road to provide quality pre-school education to the children in Singapore. On 26 November 1954, Marymount Vocational School was gazetted as a place of safety under Section 162 of the Women’s Charter.
1947 - 1950 - Opening of Good Shepherd Convent and Marymount Vocational School at Marymount
In 1947, the Sisters were given a plot of land at 790 Thomson Road by the British Government where they called it “Marymount”. Following the opening of their new convent and Marymount Vocational Centre in Marymount, the first batch of 140 girls from Kampong Java moved into the Marymount Vocational School in August 1950.
1941 - 1945 - Continuation of the Good Shepherd Sisters’ Mission during World War II
The Sisters continued to persevere in their mission during the war years. In 1942, after taking in girls from the Po Leung Kok Home for homeless children, the total number of girls cared by the Sisters rose to 220. In 1943, the Sisters and the girls moved into safer abodes in the jungle of Bahau in Negri Sembilan, Malaya, where they faced several challenges including malaria. After the war, they returned to Singapore in 1945 and established a new convent in Kampong Java. They also started a kindergarten with just 6 pupils.
1939 - 1940 - Arrival of Good Shepherd Sisters in Singapore
The history of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Singapore started with four young Irish Sisters from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Burma (Myanmar) accepting the Bishop of Malacca, Rt Rev A Devals’ invitation to carry out their mission in Singapore. They were Mother Mary Ligouri Bourke and Sr Mary of St Alphonsus Mooney, Sr Mary of St Dympna Brady and Sr M Columba Canon. After their arrival in December 1939 and January 1940, they established their first convent in Punggol and opened their doors to women and girls who were troubled or abused and in need of healing and reconciliation. In their first year, they took in 21 girls in need. Their plans to move to a bigger house in MacPherson to accommodate more girls in need was, however, disrupted by the war in 1941.