Medical Missionaries of Mary
MEDICAL MISSIONARIES OF MARY
The Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM) was established at Anua, East Nigeria, Africa, on April 4, 1937. A visit to Nigeria in 1921 convinced Mary Martin, of Dublin, Ireland, that the great need of the missions was for trained medical missionaries. After Pius XI issued an instruction in 1936 granting permission to religious congregations to devote themselves to all branches of medicine, the Medical Missionaries of Mary came into existence. In January of 1938 Mother Mary, returning from Nigeria after a serious illness, established a house of studies at Booterstown, Dublin. The following year, she took over Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, which served as the motherhouse of the congregation.
In the first 25 years of its existence, the community grew from three members to more than 400 doctors, nurses, medical technicians, secretaries, and teachers, many of whom worked in Africa. In 1950 the first American foundation was made in the Archdiocese of Boston. The motherhouse is in Blackrock, Ireland; the U.S. headquarters is in City Island, NY.
[j. j. grant/eds.]