Por la Hna. Joan of Arc, coordinadora de comunicaciones, Corea (Provincia del Noreste de Asia)

Celebrating 60 Years of Good Shepherd Mission in Korea

May 18, 2026, marked the 60^º aniversario of the arrival of Good Shepherd sisters to the shores of Korea. To celebrate this significant milestone, sisters gathered with partners-in-mission and fellow religious on June 15, 2026, for a Thanksgiving Mass in gratitude for six decades of God’s faithful love and guidance.

During the Mass, the sisters presented our Constitutions, the guiding rule of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, a statue of St. Mary Euphrasia, and a calendar of her inspiring quotations — symbolic offerings of gratitude and renewed commitment to live each day with zeal, compassion, and fidelity to the Gospel.

Fr. Thomas Shin Ho-cheol, Vicar General of the Diocese of Chuncheon, shared his fond personal memories of Good Shepherd sisters from his seminary years. He praised their decades of faithful service to those most vulnerable and marginalized, and encouraged the sisters to continue fostering solidarity, sisterhood, and Gospel values as they face the rapid change and new challenges of the years ahead.

Sr. Stella Hee-yun Rhee, Province Leader of Northeast Asia, gave thanks to God for guiding and sustaining the mission in Korea across sixty years. She honored the pioneering missionary sisters whose generous commitment planted the first seeds of the Good Shepherd charism in Korean soil, and expressed deep gratitude to the sisters serving today, to the priests who have supported the mission, and to the partners-in-mission who faithfully share in it. She reaffirmed the Congregation’s commitment to proclaiming God’s mercy and the compassionate love of the Good Shepherd.

The Beginning (1966–1976)

The mission in Korea began on May 18, 1966, when four sisters from the United States — Sr. Anna Marie Willig, Sr. Rose Virginia Hayes, Sr. Eileen Robinson, and Sr. Jeanne Marie Lyons — arrived in Korea at the invitation of Bishop Peter Han Gong-ryeol of Jeonju Diocese, following his meeting with the then Congregational Leader Mother Thomas Aquinas Lee at the Motherhouse in Angers, France.

They settled in Okbong Village in the Jeolla region of southwest Korea, learning the language and culture while building close relationships with local people. Responding to the needs of the time, they established a vocational school for girls and young women — many of whom lived near U.S. military bases or were unable to continue their education due to financial hardship. Through scholarships and vocational training, they helped young people build skills and confidence. They also founded the Okbong Credit Union, enabling local families to achieve economic independence — an initiative that earned the village recognition as an “Outstanding Village” of the province.

Growth and Expansion

As Korean society changed rapidly through industrialization, so did the mission. In 1973, the sisters opened Maria House in Seoul, providing safe accommodation and evening classes for young women who had migrated to the city to work in factories, enabling them to continue their education, restore their dignity, and prepare for independent lives.

In 1977, recognizing the urgent needs of unmarried mothers who faced severe social stigma and had very few places of refuge, the sisters opened Casa de María in Seoul — a response that would become a defining expression of the Congregation’s commitment to protecting the dignity of every life. In 1979, the community relocated to Chuncheon in the north of the country, where the mission continues to grow and serve today.

The Mission Today

The Good Shepherd Sisters in Korea now comprise nine apostolic communities and one contemplative community. Together with our partners-in-mission, we serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and sexual exploitation; staff a Women’s Emergency Hotline and emergency shelters; provide counseling and support for migrant women; and offer healing retreats for those seeking reconciliation after abortion.

The past sixty years have been a grace-filled journey shaped by God’s mercy and by the generous commitment of countless sisters, partners-in-mission, benefactors, and friends.

Inspired by the spirit of St. Mary Euphrasia and St. John Eudes, our Good Shepherd mission in Korea remains committed to walking alongside those who are most vulnerable and wounded, witnessing to the compassionate love of the Good Shepherd. Trusting that God, who began this good work, will continue to bring it to fulfillment, we move forward with gratitude and hope as we begin the next chapter of our mission.

Learn more about the Good Shepherd mission in South Korea on the Korea community’s website, Facebook, and YouTube channels, or visit olcgs.org.