The congregation of the Sisters of Mission Service was founded July 16, 1951, at Battleford, Saskatchewan by Rev. Godfrey W. Kuckartz, OMI; Mary Catherine Cannon was the co-foundress. Both were born and received their early education in Saskatchewan. Kuckartz was Superior of St. Charles Scholasticate in Battleford when he founded the Community, and it was there that the first Sisters, all from Saskatchewan, began their training and ministry. Kuckartz envisioned a modern religious congregation of women whose garb, manner and lifestyle would make them readily available to people in missions at home and abroad. He stressed the importance of “contact with the people”: this contact would take place through the service the Sisters provided as domestic workers, professional teachers, nurses, and social workers.
The Sisters have served in numerous locations in Saskatchewan over the years. Presently they work in the areas of lay formation, spiritual direction, parish ministry, the healing ministry of reiki, and pastoral care in homes and hospitals. The Congregation now serves in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Brazil.
Joan Kuffner, Leona Meier