In 1952, a group of Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary--nine Portugese, two Irish, and one Brazilian--led by Mother Ines de Jesus Teixeira, set out from Portugal and arrived in Quelimane where they opened the first RSHM African foundation.
RSHM traveling to Quelimane, Mozambique in 1952
The sisters immediately took charge of a school whose students came from Portugese families in Mozambique. They also started catechism classes, worked with native families, and visited the prison and city hospitals. In 1954, the first mission was opened in Morrumbala with a primary school for local children and a boarding school for girls.
RSHM sisters unpacking the crates
Quelimane, Mozambique, 1952
The RSHM presence in Mozambique expanded to Dondo, where the first teacher training school for young Mozambican women was opened. RSHM communities were also established in other parts of the country, including Gurue, Chimoio, Maputo and Beira. In recent years, a number of Mozambican women have entered the congregation.