A Brief History of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Myanmar
At the request of the Bishop Paul Ambrose Bigadet, the Good Shepherd Sisters first set foot on Myanmar in 1866 to take over the education ministry in the campus of St. John the Baptist’s Catholic Church, at Bo Sun Pet Street, Yangon.
         As the years went by, the Sisters expanded the mission around Yangon responding to the needs of the time. There was a continuous flow of missionaries from the Mother House, France to promote the Good Shepherd Mission in Myanmar. Some of the outstanding ministries at the time are:

• St. John’s High School which has become No. 2, Basic Education High School, Latha
• St. Philomena’s girls’ High School. At present day No. 2 Basic Education High School Sanchaung
• St. Vincent’s School which has become the venue of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar

In 1912, Sr. Alphonsus Ligouri Bourke with two more missionaries from Myanmar were sent to establish a new foundation in the Philippines.
In 1917, the German Club adjacent to No.2 State High School Latha was purchased by the Good Shepherd Sisters and became St. John’s Convent community.

The Japanese invasion in 1941 was a time of chaos for the Sisters. They closed the schools and escape from the Japanese to the towns of Kalaw and Myitkyina. In 1945 when the Japanese were defeated by British and Myanmar allies, the sisters re-entered their Convents and opened the schools.
The Sisters extended their ministries to Mogok during this time and to Thayetmyo in 1962.
In 1952, Singapore, Jakarta and the two Yangon houses formed the new Province of Rangoon (Yangon) with Sr. M. Kevin McDonell as the first Provincial. St. John’s Convent became the Provincial House until 1961 when it was moved to Singapore.
In 1965, the schools were nationalized and the missionaries left the country in 1966. Ten local Sisters were brought out of the country for international apostolic experience and formation. In 1973, the sisters returned to Yangon to restore the Congregation.
Upon arrival, the Sisters stayed at St. Vincent’s (presently CBCM) and began to respond to the needs of Yangon Archdiocese.
In 1976, a community was founded in Magyikwin Village to organize village development programs and to do pastoral work.
On the 1st of April 1978, the community moved from St. Vincent’s to present day Yangon Community.  This house has become the central house for all Myanmar Good Shepherd Sisters since. Formation houses of the Good Shepherd Sisters are also located on this campus.

In 1983, the sisters were invited to open a Good Shepherd house in Mandalay to organize ministries proper to the Congregation.
In 1990, another foundation was created in Loikaw, Kayah State to engage in holistic formation of local girls.
In 1997, Sisters were invited to Hopin, Kachin State, to assist women and girls at risk of prostitution who were working in neighboring Jade Mines. The sisters regularly visit the families, and support them with their social problems.  The holistic formation is provided regularly to the local women/catechists and youth groups. 

In 1999, a new community was set up in Yangonywa village, Tachileik to develop Income Generation Projects for women and girls to prevent them from crossing the border to engage in sex trade in Thailand. Sisters also set up programs for people who are affected with HIV/AIDS and drug addiction. A boarding house and a daycare center were established for the children.
In 2004, Sisters purchased a plot of land in Pyi-Oo-Lwin Myo Thit to create a Space of spiritual renewal and healing.

In 2004, a boarding house was established in Mandalay Myothit for the education of young girls from remote areas. In 2007, Sisters from Hopin community started to take charge of Parish boarding house in Mohnyin. In 2014, Sr. Regina Htoo Htoo became the first Myanmar Provincial of Good Shepherd East Asia Province which comprises four countries: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.  Both Pyin-Oo-Lwin and Mohnyin communities were formed canonically in 2015. . On 16th January 2016, the Good Shepherd family in Myanmar joyfully celebrated 150th year of Good Shepherd Presence in Myanmar at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Yangon.

At present, there are 52 Good Shepherd Sisters working in 9 locations- Yangon, Magyikwin Village (Thayawaddy), Mandalay, Loikaw, Hopin, Yangon Ywa (Tachileik), Mandalay, Myothit, Mohnyin, Pyin Oo Lwin and Phekung.  With the specific attention towards women and girls, we engage in ministries that promote human dignity and empowerment. United with lay partners, we continue to participate in the Church’s mission by responding courageously to the signs of the times.

Motto – “A person is more precious than the whole world.” 
Our Spirit and Charism

The spirituality of our Congregation is centered on the Gospel values expressed in the person of Jesus who described himself as one sent to bring good news to the poor, to free the oppressed, and to proclaim the goodness of God. Jesus also describes himself as a “good shepherd,” who comes to bring life in abundance to all.

For close to 400 hundred years the members of the congregation and its partners, inspired by St John Eudes and St Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, have expressed our spiritual commitment through contemplative prayer and active ministries in a mission that seeks to improve the well-being of the most vulnerable.  Responding to social conditions that cry out for mercy and reconciliation we express special concern for the needs of women and girls who remain among the most exposed to personal and social risks. We believe in a creative Spirit that is constantly renewing the universe, strengthening hope in the face of all that is destructive.

Through daily relationships in community and ministry, we ourselves learn and grow in a love characterized by tenderness and compassion. We nurture our spirits through developing a contemplative attitude capable of listening to God’s voice in our lives, and of discovering the human face of Jesus in each person, particularly in those who are most vulnerable.

We believe that God’s energizing spirit is at work in and through us as we participate in and contribute to the transformation of creation.
We collaborate with all people of goodwill to work to bring about change in whatever deprives persons and creation of dignity and worth. 

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