Grey Sisters – Franciscan Sisters of Wervik (and also Roeselare)

(Not to be confused with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, founded in Rome.)

The Grey Sisters – Franciscan Sisters of Wervik trace their origins to the late 14th century (between 1382 and 1400).
This medieval foundation has no precisely known founder, due to the loss of early archives.
In 1578, both the convent and its archives were destroyed by fire, and the sisters sought refuge in Lille (Rijsel).

Life and Work in Belgium

In Wervik, the sisters were active in education and charity, operating a convent school that is still explicitly identified in the Flemish Heritage Inventory as the “convent school of the Grey Franciscan Sisters.”

They followed the Franciscan Third Order tradition, combining prayer and service to the poor and the sick — local expressions of charity and hospitality.
The current convent chapel, dating from 1834, is a well-preserved neoclassical building and a valuable example of local religious heritage.

Missionary Work and 20th-Century Expansion

The Grey Sisters of Wervik were originally a local tertiary community without overseas missions.
Missionary activity began only in the 20th century, often through affiliation or federation with larger Franciscan congregations — particularly the Grey Sisters of Roeselare.

Through that broader network, sisters from the Wervik community became involved in missions in Africa (Congo/DRC) and Latin America (especially Brazil).
The first recorded missionary from the Wervik community was Sister Maria (Agnes) Schrijvers, who departed for Brazil in 1965.

Decline and Legacy

The Wervik convent community has now effectively come to an end.
In 2023, Sister Lucia (aged 101) — known as “the last Grey Sister of the Wervik convent” — passed away.
The convent and chapel remain preserved as protected heritage sites, while their former pastoral and educational roles have been continued within the regular diocesan and school networks.