In a historic moment for women religious, two congregations founded on the vision of the Englishwoman Mary Ward, the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), popularly known as the ‘Loreto Sisters,’ and the Congregation of Jesus (CJ), formally united on November 4, 2025, bringing to completion a journey that began more than four centuries ago. Today, both congregations assume the common identity of the Congregation of Jesus.
The decree of merger was solemnly proclaimed during a special Eucharistic celebration at Loyola, Spain, the birthplace of St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose spirituality shaped the vision of Mary Ward profoundly. The Mass was presided over by Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, marking the deep Ignatian roots shared by both congregations.
A Vision Ahead of Her Time
The sixteenth-century Catholic world was profoundly shaped by the Council of Trent (1545–1563), one of the most significant ecumenical councils in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. The Council clarified Catholic doctrine, reformed Church practices, and strengthened ecclesiastical discipline. It also reaffirmed traditional Church structures and imposed strict enclosure on women religious.
Within this rigid ecclesial landscape, Mary Ward (1585–1645) emerged as a daring and visionary reformer. In 1609, she founded a community of women at Saint-Omer, in the then Spanish Netherlands (present-day France). Her vision was revolutionary: she envisioned women religious actively engaged in the world through education and apostolic service, modelled on the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Her companions took no solemn vows, lived without papal enclosure, and wore no religious habit, bold choices that challenged the conventions of her age.
Suppression and Survival
The novel apostolic vision of Mary Ward provoked considerable controversy and opposition within the Church. In 1631, Pope Urban VIII ordered the suppression of her institute, and Mary Ward herself was imprisoned for a time by Church authorities. Accused of insubordination and of challenging established ecclesiastical norms, she endured misunderstanding and rejection. Yet her faith and conviction remained unshaken, and her vision outlived the trials she faced.
Despite the official suppression, her companions quietly continued her mission. In small, scattered communities across continental Europe and England, they lived according to her ideals of active religious life. Without formal papal recognition, these groups persisted as pious associations under local ecclesiastical supervision, faithfully preserving the spiritual legacy of their foundress.
Recognition and Renewal
Within five decades of Mary Ward’s death in 1645, her followers began to identify themselves as the Institute of Mary, a title that reflected their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and their deep appreciation for the Ignatian spiritual heritage that Mary Ward had embraced.
In 1703, the congregation received papal recognition from Pope Clement XI under the name Institute of Mary. By the early nineteenth century, the community had adopted the title Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), which was formally approved by Pope Pius IX in 1877 under its Latin name, Institutum Beatae Mariae Virginis (IBMV).
The Growth of Two Branches
Over time, differing historical and ecclesiastical circumstances gave rise to two main branches within the same spiritual family.
In Ireland, under Mother Teresa Ball, the Institute flourished as the Loreto Sisters, named after their first house in Rathfarnham, Dublin, dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto. From there, they carried Mary Ward’s mission of education and empowerment to many parts of the world, including India, Australia, Africa, and North America.
It was within the Loreto branch of the IBVM that a young Albanian woman, Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, who took the name Mary Teresa and is known to the world today as St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, began her religious life in India in 1929. She served as a zealous and devoted Loreto Sister and teacher at St. Mary’s School in Kolkata for nearly two decades before founding the Missionaries of Charity in 1950.
Meanwhile, the German branch of the Institute continued under the Latin title Institutum Beatae Mariae Virginis (IBMV). Deeply rooted in Ignatian spirituality, this branch carried on emphasising faith, justice, and service in its apostolic work.
Though separated by history and geography, both branches remained united in spirit, animated by the same charism of freedom, education, and dedication to the greater glory of God. Across more than forty countries, Mary Ward’s daughters, both CJ and IBVM, have continued her mission for over four centuries.
Realising Mary Ward’s Dream
From as early as 1611, Mary Ward had hoped her institute would bear the name of the Society of Jesus, reflecting its Jesuit inspiration. Though she was denied papal permission during her lifetime, her dream endured.
In 2003, the Institutum Beatae Mariae Virginis (IBMV) officially adopted the name Congregation of Jesus (CJ), fulfilling the long-cherished wish of Mary Ward to bear the name of Jesus. The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), or Loreto Sisters, meanwhile, continued under their original identity.
A Historic Union: The Fulfilment of a Vision
After centuries of parallel growth yet shared purpose, the two branches, the Congregation of Jesus (CJ) and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), have now come together as one. On November 4, 2025, the long-awaited union was officially realised, forming a single congregation inspired by the same Ignatian spirit and guided by the same foundational vision.
This union is far more than an administrative merger; it is the fulfilment of Mary Ward’s prophetic dream of ‘one Institute’ of apostolic women, wholly dedicated to Christ and His mission in the world. It represents the healing of a historical separation and the renewal of a shared commitment to serve God through faith, education, and justice.
In uniting as one body, the sisters of CJ and IBVM carry forward Mary Ward’s enduring legacy, a legacy of courage, vision, and unwavering fidelity to God’s call. Her dream, once silenced and suppressed, now stands vindicated and alive: a living witness that God’s time is always the right time, and that a vision born of faith can never die.
