The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary were first founded in 1843 by Canadian born Eulalie Durocher (in religious life, Mother Marie—Rose) and in 1862 the Sisters were invited to Windsor to teach — a town barely ten years old with a population of 3,000. The Sisters arrived at Windsor train station in 1864 and within one month opened a “Select School for Girls” — which was the beginning of St. Mary’s Academy. From that day on, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus would ’walk in faith,’ joining part of the great religious movement of missionary expansion which marked the founding and implantation of the Church’s work of the education of youth in Southwestern Ontario

During their first one hundred years in Windsor, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary taught at the Catholic Women’s College of Assumption, concentrating their efforts in educating youth at all levels, teaching music and participating in the arts. Also very important to the Sisters and Associates is their corporate stand on WATER and TRAFFICKING of Women and children.

In the past, most Sisters and Associates taught school, college and university. However, since the 1980’s and 1990’s the Sisters of the Holy Names in the Windsor—Detroit area have become actively involved with Seniors’ Club, after school tutoring, prison ministry, chaplaincy, spirituality centres, pastoral work in parishes and volunteering at rehabilitation centres such as Brentwood and House of Sophrosyne.

It is immeasurable the number of lives that have been touched by the Sisters and Associates in the Windsor/Essex — Detroit region. To this day, they are dedicated to the full development of the human person through education, social justice, contemplation and the arts.

Please click here to learn about SNJM.