Born in Lisbon in 1871 through the vision of Father Raimundo dos Anjos Beirão and Blessed Maria Clara do Menino Jesus, the Congregation of the Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception shines as a family of merciful Hospitality and love. In 1876, Pope Pius IX affirmed their mission within the universal Church, sealing their place as a beacon of hope. Rooted in Franciscan Spirit: Daughters of St. Francis, the sisters walk in his joy, simplicity, and love of creation—finding richness in humility, service, and communion. Living the Hospitaller Charism: Following the boundless charity of their founders’ they embody God’s tenderness through healing, hospitality, and compassionate presence, especially among the most needy. A Life of Community and Love: Together they form true homes of fraternity—where love, unity, and shared service become a living witness to the Gospel and a radiant sign of hope for the world.
Raimundo Maria Ferreira da Silva Beirão was born in Lisbon on March 8, 1810. At sixteen, he joined the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, taking the name Friar Raimundo dos Anjos, and was ordained a priest in 1833. Soon after the political turmoil of 1834, through the decree of May 28, 1834, declared extinguished all the religious houses of the Regular Orders and incorporated their propeties in the National Territory. This forced him to leave the convent, after which he dedicated himself to preaching across Portugal. In 1855, he was declared an Apostolic Missionary by the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of Faith. Known for his humility and kindness, he cared deeply for the poor and needy. He founded the Association of Sons of St. Cajetan to instruct youth, served as chaplain to the Royal Army, and supported charitable institutions. He guided Mother Maria Clara and helped establish the congregation of the Capuchins of Our Lady of Conception. Father Raimundo passed away peacefully on July 13, 1878, remembered for his missionary zeal and his motto: “Where there is good to be done, do it.
Libânia do Carmo Galvão Mexia de Moura Teles Albuquerque was born in Lisbon on June 15, 1843, into a noble family. Orphaned at fourteen, she felt called to serve the poor and entered the Convent of St. Patrick, taking the name Sister Maria Clara of the Child Jesus. On April 14, 1871, she professed in Calais, France and returned to Portugal on May 1, 1871. Soon after under the guidance of Fr. Raimundo dos Anjos Beirao she was appointed the Superior and Mistress of Novices of the newly founded Congregation of the Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Poor, later known as the Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Mother Clara was marked by prayer, humility, compassion, and tireless charity, serving the sick, elderly, orphaned, and abandoned. Her motto, “Let us work with love and for love,” reflected her life of service. Under her leadership, the congregation expanded rapidly to Portugal, Angola, Goa, Guinea, and Cabo Verde. She died on December 1, 1899, at age of 56, and was beatified on May 21, 2011. She is remembered as “a Sister to the poor – a face of the tenderness and mercy of God.”
The Franciscan Hospitaller Sister of the Immaculate Conception is a person chosen and consecrated by God to follow Jesus Christ, to follow Jesus Christ, in fraternity, and to serve the brethren, especially the more needy, according to the spirit of the beatitudes, in a process of continuous conversion. As a Sister minor and after the example of the Virgin Mary, Servant and poor, in welcome acceptance and listening to the Word, she commits herself to live Hospitality, in joy and simplicity, in communion with the Church, in a prophetic-missionary dimension, inserted in the world and situated in time.
“Living the Gospel through mercy and communion.”
