Our History

The JMJ Congregation was founded on July 29, 1822 in Amersfoort by Rev.Fr. Mathias Wolff, SJ. The call to establish a Congregation originated from the situation of the Church in the Netherlands at that time which required independence.

At first it was just simple. In 1819, three young girls from Culemborg expressed their wish to Fr. Wolff to become nuns. They were Maria Stichters, Sophia Miltner and Maria Josepha van Elk. In 1819, P. Wolff sent them as candidates for the congregation he was going to establish, to the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Gent (Belgium) to be formed in religious life. In 1822, the plans to establish a religious institution became more concrete, as a number of girls from Utrecht had stated themselves to be religious. In 1823, a Reglement (a form of constitution) was approved by the Archpriest of the Netherlands. On July 29 of the same year, the first house was rented in Muurhuizen in Amersfoort. It was there that the first community began, consisting of two sisters who had received initial formation in Belgium, and three girls from Utrecht who had been given spiritual guidance from a parish priest. The community began with the name of the Pédagogie Chrétienne (Christian Education).

From Amersfoort, the institute then established itself in the south of the Netherlands with three further establishments in Engelen, Nijmegen and Zevenbergen. Spiritual guidance since the beginning rests with Fr. Wolff. It was said that he went to Amersfoort in various guises to guide her sisters in spiritual life and to encourage them. P. Wolff's task as spiritual leader was not easy due to the Sisters' very different origins. Not only differences in religious education but in social class as well which at that time were very important in society. This situation influenced the relationship between one another in the new community. In 1832, P. Wolff was asked by the Jesuit Provincial Superior to break his interfering in the congregation. The Jesuit thought that his task was done. P. Wolff handed over his responsibility of the Congregation to the general superior. In later years since P. Wolff was no longer involved in the congregation, there were tensions in and around the communities in Amersfoort. The separation occurred between the Amersfoort community and three other communities around Engelen. Four serious attempts were made to reunite Amersfoort and Engelen, but to no avail. In 1840 separation became a reality and two independent religious institutions were formed: the Sisters of Our Lady in Amersfoort and the Sisters of Jesus Maria Joseph (JMJ) in Engelen. It was a joy for Fr. Wolff when fifteen years later, the two institutions received papal approval.

From 1964 to 2018, the JMJ Engelen Sisters used the name 'Society of Jesus Maria Joseph' (JMJ). 

In 1898, Society of JMJ expanded its mission to Indonesia at the invitation of Mgr. Walterus J. Staal, SJ, Apostolic Vicar of Batavia and the highest Church authority in the Dutch East Indies to develop Catholic education in Indonesia. The first mission began in Tomohon-North Sulawesi. 6 Dutch Sisters namely Mère Wenceslas te Poel, Sr. Boniface Meyer, Sr. Josephie van den Berg, Sr. Laetitia Loenen, Sr. Dosithea Schambergen, Sr. Basilissa Heisjter became pioneers in mission in Indonesia. Responded to the needs of people, the JMJ Sisters then opened new houses in Manado, Makassar, Raha, Sukabumi and some other parts of Indonesia.

Around 1920, the Congregation explored the possibilities of accepting future sisters from Sulawesi. On 15 June 1924, the first six Indonesian candidates entered the congregation.

In 1904, the Congregation started new missions in India. Seven Sisters were sent to India. The JMJ Congregation grew rapidly there.

In 1962 the Congregation was divided into three provinces: the Netherlands, Indonesia and India. The generalate remains in the Netherlands (Vught, s-Hertogenbosch). Furthermore, the Congregation opened new missions in Australia, Tanzania, Rome and Ghana (Africa).

The provinces of Indonesia and India experienced a period of growth and after a few years were further divided into smaller provinces. On the other hand, due to the growth of secularization in Western Europe, the Dutch Province experienced a decline. The last sister entered in 1973.

The changes in the wider society and the effects of Vatican II finally led eventually to a deep and serious conversations at the 2011 General Chapter about the future structure of the Congregation. The result of this in-depth exploration led to the decision to separate into two independent institutions with the same roots: Indonesia-Netherlands and India-Ghana. From 2011 to 2016, a series of dialogues took place between the congregational leader and her council, assisted by P. Falco Thuis, O.Carm, a religious assistant and representative of the Holy See.

In the Decree of September 10, 2016, the separation was ratified by the Holy See. To assist in the implementation of the Decree, Sr. Brigid Lawlor RGS, was appointed by the Holy See as Religious Assistant to Societas JMJ.

Still bound together and sent out by the Holy Spirit, the founding vision of Fr. Wolff continues through the two new religious institutes, newly formed on 10 September 2016: the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus Mary Joseph (comprised of Indonesia / The Netherlands) and the Congregation Jesus Mary Joseph (comprised of India / Ghana).

On February 2, 2019, the Holy See, through its Decree, ratified the establishment of a Religious Institution named the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus Mary Joseph (Initial: SJMJ) by ratifying the First Congregational Leadership Team and the Constitution. Since the First Congregational Chapter 2018 in Tomohon-Indonesia, the Generalate of SJMJ Congregation was transferred to Yogyakarta, Semarang Archdiocese, Indonesia.