In 1964, Fr. Aloysius Schwartz founded the Sisters of Mary in Busan, Korea to serve the poorest of the poor.
Adopting the Virgin of the Poor as the group’s patroness, the Sisters of Mary fulfill in their own little way the Virgin of the Poor’s message of relieving the suffering of the poor by establishing child welfare programs like Boystown and Girlstown Schools, setting up medical service to the sick, and providing shelter for the homeless and handicapped.
All charity programs in South Korea were established well before the death of our founder Father Al.
In Busan, the Sisters of Mary maintain a kindergarten, middle and high schools, while in Seoul, they operated a kindergarten and an elementary school up until 2019. These live-in schools are for abandoned and orphaned children. In addition, the Sisters of Mary provide help to the poor and the needy in their hospitals and homes.
The Sisters of Mary - Girlstown & Boystown in Busan
7-62 Amnamdong, Seoku
Busan, Korea 602-030
Opened in 1964
Archives photos retrace the history of our mission, from its very roots in Korea, back in the 1960's.