"The Lord has called us to be leaven here and now, with the challenges we face."
Pope Francis, Feb. 2, 2017, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
We are a Public Association of the Faithful, in the process of becoming a religious institute of Diocesan Right. We were founded in the Philippines in 1991.
The founding grace of our community began with Fr. Edgardo Arellano, a Salesian priest who was the head of a Catholic college in Manila. In the 1970s while the Philippines was experiencing political turmoil which affected even the students and teachers of his school as well as other youth in the various schools, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to bring the Catholic faith to the public school system of Metro Manila, which was experiencing a dearth in Catechetical formation. He saw the great need for evangelization of the youth and formed a group of teacher-animators in various public schools with a heart for the young people to lead this Marian movement that helped form countless young Christian disciples through the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Through this campus ministry of forming youth to heed the message of Our Lady of Fatima, this group of young women came to assist while sacrificing after-school hours and weekends to also receive formation. In a fateful retreat directed by Fr. Arellano for this group of young women in Tagaytay in 1977, they were henceforth called and gathered to become the first members of the Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
As our numbers and missions began to grow in the Philippines, some Sisters eventually came to the USA in 2000 and started the mission in Dover, Delaware. We also opened our first mission in Australia in 2001. In 2008, we were visited by the Pontifical Commission for consecrated life, which came to be led by Bishop Antonio Tobias from 2015 until 2022. During those years the pontifical commissariat guided the institute to reestablish by fulfilling the requirements of the Dicastery of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Apostolic Life. Recruitment and promotion of members was restored in 2019 after a draft of the revised Constitutions was passed in Rome.
With much gratitude, we had our first General Chapter in 2022. We elected our first Mother General – Mo. Mary Rose Dorol, and her Council: Mo. Assumpta Tangan, Mo. Domenica Icalla, Mo. Magdalene Concordo, and Sr. Ma. Teresa Ouano.
Today we continue to grow and serve as Our Lady's leaven in the Philippines, USA, and Australia.
The founding grace of our community began with Fr. Edgardo Arellano, a Salesian priest who was the head of a Catholic college in Manila. In the 1970s while the Philippines was experiencing political turmoil which affected even the students and teachers of his school as well as other youth in the various schools, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to bring the Catholic faith to the public school system of Metro Manila, which was experiencing a dearth in Catechetical formation. He saw the great need for evangelization of the youth and formed a group of teacher-animators in various public schools with a heart for the young people to lead this Marian movement that helped form countless young Christian disciples through the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Through this campus ministry of forming youth to heed the message of Our Lady of Fatima, this group of young women came to assist while sacrificing after-school hours and weekends to also receive formation. In a fateful retreat directed by Fr. Arellano for this group of young women in Tagaytay in 1977, they were henceforth called and gathered to become the first members of the Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
As our numbers and missions began to grow in the Philippines, some Sisters eventually came to the USA in 2000 and started the mission in Dover, Delaware. We also opened our first mission in Australia in 2001. In 2008, we were visited by the Pontifical Commission for consecrated life, which came to be led by Bishop Antonio Tobias from 2015 until 2022. During those years the pontifical commissariat guided the institute to reestablish by fulfilling the requirements of the Dicastery of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Apostolic Life. Recruitment and promotion of members was restored in 2019 after a draft of the revised Constitutions was passed in Rome.
With much gratitude, we had our first General Chapter in 2022. We elected our first Mother General – Mo. Mary Rose Dorol, and her Council: Mo. Assumpta Tangan, Mo. Domenica Icalla, Mo. Magdalene Concordo, and Sr. Ma. Teresa Ouano.
Today we continue to grow and serve as Our Lady's leaven in the Philippines, USA, and Australia.
Horarium
3:30 am Rising (Missionaries)
4:00 am Adoration 4:30 am Rising (Sisters in Formation) 5:00 am Morning Prayer 6:00 am Holy Mass 7:00 am Chores/Preparation 8:00 am Breakfast 8:30 am Apostolate/Study 12:00 pm Angelus/Lunch 1:00 pm Apostolate/Study 4:00 pm Adoration 5:00 pm Evening Prayer 6:00 pm Dinner 6:30 pm Recreation 7:30 pm Adoration/Chores/Preparation 9:00 pm Grand Silence *Office of Readings, Daytime Prayer, and Night Prayer are prayed individually *Other daily devotional prayers include the Full Rosary (all four Mysteries) and the Stations of the Cross |
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