Shortly after Vatican II, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary responded to a missionary call of the Diocese of Montpellier which was "twinned" with the Church in Mali, a vast country on the edge of the Sahara whose population is largely composed of Muslims, animists, and a very small number of Christians. In late November 1969, four sisters two Irish, one French, and one Portugese arrived in Sanzana where they worked in the human formation and evangelization of women, youth, and children throughout the expanse of the parish.
RSHM Sisters at Kimparana, Mali 1982
A second community was established in Kimparana in 1982. Six years later the Sanzana community closed, but a new community was begun in Fantarela in 1997. In both Kimparana and Fantarela, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary continued their ministry to the local population until 2009, when the RSHM presence and ministry in Mali was concluded.