IN 1670 BISHOP PIERRE LAMBERT DE LA MOTTE, VICAR FOR THE MISSION IN CHINA AND VIETNAM, FOUNDED AT KIEN LAO IN NORTH VIETNAM THE FIRST CONGREGATION OF THE LOVERS OF THE CROSS. HIS AIM WAS TO CONVEY TO OTHERS HIS DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S LOVE FOR HUMAN KIND IN THE SUFFERING JESUS. MANY WOMEN JOINED THE GROUP AND WORKED AMONG THE PEOPLE "TO INSTRUCT THE YOUNG, BOTH CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN, VISIT AND ATTEND TO THE SICK, PRAY FOR THEIR NEEDS OF SOUL AND BODY, BAPTISE CHILDREN AND PROCURE THE CONVERSION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO ARE LEADING A BAD LIFE" ACCORDING TO BISHOP LAMBERT’S INSTRUCTIONS. BISHOP LAMBERT INTENDED HIS INSTITUTION TO BE DIOCESAN BASED AND UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE LOCAL BISHOP AND SO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT CONGREGATIONS OF LOVERS OF THE CROSS GRADUALLY DEVELOPED. THE ORIGINAL CONGREGATION SUFFERED UNDER THE SEVERE PERSECUTIONS OF THE FAITH WHICH CONTINUED FOR NEARLY 300 YEARS AND BARELY SURVIVED. IN 1953 THE ORIGINAL KIEN LAO CONGREGATION WAS RE-ESTABLISHED IN LIEN THUY BUI CHU, NORTH VIETNAM. THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE SISTERS MOVED TO SOUTH VIETNAM TO ESCAPE COMMUNIST RULE. IN THEIR NEW HOME THEY CAME UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THEIR CHAPLAIN, FATHER BERNARD BUI. THROUGH HIS COUNSEL THEY ADOPTED A NEW CONSTITUTION AND NAME – THE MISSIONARY SISTERS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, QUEEN OF THE WORLD. THE NEWLY NAMED CONGREGATION WAS APPROVED BY THE VATICAN IN 1966. FOLLOWING THE FALL OF SOUTH VIETNAM IN 1975 17 OUT OF 18 CONVENTS OF THE ORDER WERE DESTROYED AND THOUGH SOME SISTERS FLED TO AUSTRALIA AND AMERICA THE FATE OF MANY OF THE SISTERS REMAINS UNKNOWN. TODAY THE SISTERS HAVE RE-ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES IN TWO NEW REGIONS – AUSTRALIA AND NORTH AMERICA. THE MOTHERHOUSE OF THE ORDER REMAINS IN SAIGON VIETNAM.

IN 1975 A GROUP OF SISTERS OF MARY QUEEN ARRIVED IN AUSTRALIA AS REFUGEES FROM THE FALL OF SOUTH VIETNAM. THEY QUICKLY RESUMED THEIR TRADITIONAL APOSTOLATE TO RELIEVE SUFFERING BY DEVOTING THEMSELVES TO HELPING THE MANY OTHER VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TAKEN IN BY AUSTRALIA. THEY ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES IN GRANVILLE AND SOON SET UP A A SERIES OF SPECIAL WORKS IN THE AREA. LATER THEY SPREAD TO MELBOURNE AND CANBERRA WHERE THEY ASSIST AT THE PAPAL NUNCIATURE. THOUGH THEY REMAIN A SMALL ORDER IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT THEY VIGOROUSLY PROMOTE THE FORMATION OF NEW SISTERS AND WORK TIRELESSLY AT THE MISSION SET BY THEIR FOUNDER BISHOP LAMBERT THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

THE AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATIONS OF THE SISTERS OF MARY QUEEN CONSTITUTE ONE OF TWO ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS OF THE ORDER ESTABLISHED OUTSIDE OF VIETNAM. THE FOLLOWING LISTS ALL FOUNDATIONS MADE BY THE SISTERS IN AUSTRALIA.

BRAYBROOK

CANBERRA

GRANVILLE
1975

NARRABEEN