Past and Present

The first two sisters were professed on 30th June 1865 in the London parish of St Peter’s Vauxhall, where the growing Community helped the parish priest in this area of great social deprivation.

By 1876 the community had taken as its dedication, ‘The Holy Name of Jesus,’ thus reflecting a vocation of reaching out to others in the name of ‘Jesus, Saviour.’ The founders drew inspiration from both the Catholic and Evangelical movements.

A sister’s vocation, to draw others into a personal relationship with Jesus as Saviour, was rooted in the sacramental life of the Church. The daily Offices and times of silence overflowed into various forms of ministry according to the needs of the place and time.

In 1887 the ‘Mother House’ (Convent of the Holy Name) was established at Malvern Link, Worcestershire, while ‘mission houses’ remained in London and elsewhere in the UK.

The Community moved to the present convent in Derby in 1990. Community branch houses continue to be integral to our way of life as we seek to actively and prayerfully respond to today’s needs.