Our community was founded in 1610 by an Englishwoman called Mary Ward. This is where the expression "Englische Fräulein" comes from, which is the German name for "Congregatio Jesu". Mary Ward realized that women were as much called to do their part in building God's empire as men were. Throughout her life, she was faithful to this mission that she received from God. She saw her mission as:
* Opening up schools and educational facilities for women
* Letting women get active in passing on and deepening faith
* Being open for people in need
* Living among human beings as a community of women without a closed convent.

She lived out of the source of the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius. Searching for God and finding God in all that is and in all affairs was her primary motive.
Today we, as a community, try to meet this challenge anew by carrying on the work she began.