History
The Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception were founded by Mother Maria Rose Columba Bialecka in 1861. She was born on August 23, 1838 in eastern Poland. Utilizing her many natural and supernatural gifts, Mother Bialecka, at the age of 19, followed the dictates of her heart and entered the novitiate of the Dominican Sisters in Nancy, France to receive her religious formation. Not long after making her first religious vows, she returned to Poland to lay the foundation for the Congregation of Dominican Sisters in Poland.
Heavy on Mother Bialecka’s heart was her countrymen’s many needs, namely their struggle with poverty and illiteracy. Her mission of charity began by organizing a network of parochial schools where children and adults could learn to read, write, and better understand their Catholic faith. It was her burning desire that society’s poorest, sick, and dying were provided with material help and sacramental assistance from the Church. She desired for them to realize their own dignity and reconcile themselves with God before they died.
Mother Bialecka founded the very first Dominican Convent in Poland in 1861. Before her death in 1887, this congregation grew significantly and four other convents were also established.
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