Sisters of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin, Romorantin, France 1818-1955

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin was founded in 1818 at Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France by Abbé Pourchon. In the days following the French Revolution, the congregation devoted itself to education of young girls principally the poor. Several houses were founded, particularly in 1859 at Romorantin.  In 1904, the anticlerical laws obliged the Sisters to become secularized. A small group of religious found refuge in England where they established a community. It was only after the war of 1939-44 that the French Sisters began again to wear their religious habit.  Lacking vocations, it was decided the Congregation of the Sisters of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin would merge with another. Through a decree of June 15, 1955, they united with the Congregation of the SND of Namur, so that they formed a single Congregation from that time.