History of Our Congregation
It was Mgr. John de Reepr, a Mill Hill Missionary, who under the guidance of the Holy Spirit saw the urgent needs of the Maasai people. Fervently, he requested the General Leadership of the Little Sisters of St. Joseph in Heerlen, Netherlands to send sisters to Kenya to assist people with medical care in Maasai land in Kilgoris. In 1960, the congregation accepted this request, and on February 11, 1963, the first Dutch sisters arrived in Kilgoris.
It is an institute of Pontifical Right in which members pronounce public vows, follow the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi, and live a fraternal life. In this love of neighbor, one reaches personal holiness not only to self, but also to those whom they serve, finding their holiness through Poverty, Obedience, and Chastity.
Our Founder
Msgr. Peter Joseph Savelberg
1827 – 1907Peter Joseph Savelberg was born in the Netherlands in 1827 and ordained as a priest in 1854. He served six years as chaplain of a convent at Nonnenwerth before his appointment as curate at Heerlen in 1860.
There, he was deeply moved by the social and spiritual neediness of the area. With the assistance of members of the Third Order of St. Francis, he immediately began "helping where nobody helps." His heart was captured by the poorest and the little ones whom no one cared for: orphans, the aged, and the mentally and physically handicapped. On June 21, 1872, the congregation was officially founded.
Founders & Patron Saints
Guiding lights of our faith and community
Peter Joseph Savelberg
Founder"Go to St. Joseph and place him at the door of your own heart with the sword of humility, renunciation and mortification..."
Mother Josepha de Schwartz
Co-Founder"If a mother loves and feeds her own child, how much more should everyone love and feed her spiritual sister."
St. Francis of Assisi
Spiritual FatherMay the Lord bless you and keep you. May He show His face to you and have mercy.May he turn His countenance to you and give you peace The Lord bless you!
St. Clare of Assisi
Saint claireWhat you hold, may you always hold... go forward securely, joyfully and swiftly on the path of prudent happiness.
Our Patron St. Joseph
Patron Saint"In silence lies my peace."
Our Mother Mary
Blessed Mother"Hail Mary, full of grace."
Milestones & Global Reach
The personal experience of our founder Savelberg is a lasting point of reference for our religious life. Since 1963, the congregation has gradually grown and today we serve across two continents.
Africa
Kenya & Tanzania Province Communities
United States
International Mission Outreach
Our Identity & Spiritual Pillars
Charism
Serving the poor, elderly, sick, and vulnerable through active love, compassion, and presence.
Core Values
Humility & Simplicity
Hospitality & Fraternity
Trust in divineProvidence
Compassion & Joy
Spirituality
As followers of Jesus Christ in the spirit of St. Francis, we are called to live a simple, contemplative, and active life rooted in gospel joy and Franciscan brotherhood.
Vision
"God Helped.
God is Helping.
God Will Always Help."
Devotion to St. Joseph
"Go to St. Joseph, the great patron of an internal hidden life with Christ in God, and he will tell you by his example how to keep and develop this inner life in your outward work and necessary contact with the world and people. St. Joseph, pray for us."
Explore Our Devotions →