Our founder Msgr. Joannes Zwijsen was into the family of a miller in Kerkdriel, situated in the Dutch Province of Gelderland, on 28 August 1794. From 1832 until 1842 Zwijsen was parish priest of 't Heike in Tilburg.
Msgr. Zwijsen was touched by the concrete needs of his parishioners. That is why he founded two Congregations:
the Sisters of Charity (1832) and the Brothers of Tilburg (1844).
The aim of both Congregations was to dedicate themselves to education and health care for the benefit of the poor and marginsalised in Tilburg.
Msgr. Zwijsen started the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity with three beguines from the little Belgian town of Hoogstraten. They began to do this work in a small house in Piusstraat, Tilburg. Their second house, the façade of which still exists, is called "the house with the 13 cells".
Mother Michael Leysen became the Congregation’s first Superior General. It was Zwijsen’s intention not to admit more than 13 sisters to his Congregation. However, because of the great demand for help in education and health care he had to abandon this principle quite soon. He agreed to an extension of his Congregation. When Monsignor Zwijsen died on 16 October 1877, the Congregation comprised about 1500 members and had expanded beyond the Dutch borders to Belgium (1840), England and Wales (1861) and the United States of America (1874).
MISSION
Our mission is to make God's mercy visible through care and service, expecially to the poor the oppressed and the vulnerable.
With the total number of 394 sisters we strive to make a difference in the lives of those in need in the Netherlands, Belgium, UK and Ireland, Brazil, USA, Philippines, Indonesia and Timor Leste.
We share in the mission of mercy and wholeheartedly recognized and support our associate members who are called to live the gospel in the spirit of loving compassion and mercy.
Safeguarding Policy
