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The Sisters of Sion were
founded in France in the 1840s by Theodore Ratisbonne.
Theodore grew up in
a Jewish family and came to the Christian faith as a young man. He was always
conscious of the unique relationship between the church and the Jewish people.
Whilst working as a priest in Paris he
received news of the dramatic conversion experience of his brother, Alphonse.
This event inspired Theodore to follow his intuition and to found the
Congregation to witness to God's faithful love for the Jewish people. The
congregation grew quickly and foundations were made in 10 different counties in
Theodore's life time and is now present in 21 countries around the world.The history of Sion in UK / Ireland
The Sisters of Sion first came to England in 1860 at the invitation of Cardinal Wiseman. They settled in London and Worthing and opened schools there. Sion schools always welcomed pupils from every faith, and respect for other beliefs and cultures was always an important part of their philosophy. After the Second World War and particularly in the light of the Second Vatican Council, the work of the congregation expanded and developed. A centre for Jewish Christian relations was set up in London and smaller communities were established around Great Britain.
In 1966 Sisters of Sion went to Ireland to develop the work of Vatican II. Bellinter House Conference Centre hosted courses in religious education, dialogue with the Jewish Community, Catechesis and the Bible until it closed in 2003. The sisters from Bellinter plan to continue their work in their new house in Dublin In 2002 our first community in the North of Ireland was founded.
Whatever work we do, the basic inspiration remains the same - to witness to God's faithful love for the Jewish People.