Province History
In 1986, Sister Rosaline Thuy Lieu Nguyen was approved by Arch Bishop John Quinn – Arch Diocese of San Francisco, to establish the Congregation of the Quinhon Missionary Sisters of the Holy Cross stationed in the Arch Diocese of San Francisco.
The first members of the Congregation consisted of Sr. Rosaline – the Superior, and two aspirants: Christine Kim Chi Le and Teresa Thuy Nguyen. In the beginning the sisters rented a house belonging to the Redemptorists Congregation and resided at 359 Leland Avenue, San Francisco, California.
In 1988, with the support of Father Patrick O’Brien, CSsR, and the Congregation of the Redemptorists, the Sisters was moved to a new resident home located at 298 Southgate Avenue, Daly City, California. This is the first house resided in the Arch Diocese of San Francisco. During this time, Sister Josephine Dao joined Sr. Rosaline and the two aspirants living in that house.
On August 27, 1988, Sister Christine Kim Chi Le and Theresa Thuy Nguyen were accepted to the Novitiate and spent their canonical year at the Dominican Sisters in Mission San Jose, California.
On September 22, 1990, Sister Christine Kim Chi Lê made her first profession of vows at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Daly City, California celebrated by Bishop Carlos Sevilla, S.J., Auxiliary Bishop of Arch Diocese of San Francisco.
In 1998, Sister M.B. Flaherty, Vicar for Religious in Archdiocese of San Francisco, introduced our Sisters to Bishop John S. Cummins in Diocese of Oakland. Bishop John Cummins approved the Sisters to establish the Novitiate in Concord, Oakland Diocese.
On June 17, 1994, Bishop John S. Cummins of Oakland Diocese accepted the requested and granted the establishment of our Novitiate convent at 1685 Humphrey Drive, Concord, California 94519. The Novitiate had three novices began their canonical year according to the canon law.
On August 6, 1995, with the permission of Bishop John S. Cummins, the welcoming of the Pastor Roger Lucey, S.J and the parishioners, our sisters were allowed to use the convent at the Church of Santa Maria in Orinda, California, as our Aspirancy formation house.
On January 13, 1996, Bishop John S. Cummins blessed the Aspirancy Convent of Santa Maria. The community had ten aspirants under the Superior of Sr. Josefa Ngoc Nguyen and Sr. Mary Anh Cong.
On November 13, 1997, we established the community of Our Lady of Angels at 1727 Humphrey Drive, Concord, California.
On July 1, 1998, we established the St. Joseph apostolate community located at 368 Neilson Court, San Jose, California. with the house blessing of Bishop Patrick McGrath of San Jose Diocese. Sr. Christine Kim Chi Le and Sr. Catherine Phuong Dang were assigned to do apostolate ministries at Most Holy Trinity Parish and Saint Maria Goretti in the Diocese of San Jose.
On July of 2002, with the permission of Bishop John S. Cummins and the welcoming of the Pastor Fr. Wayne Campbell, we establish a convent affiliated with Saint Felicitas Parish in San Leandro, California. There were five sisters who lived there and were assigned to do their ministries at the Parish.
In July of 2003, Sr. Josefa Ngoc Nguyen was elected as the Superior of the Congregation, successor of Sr. Rosaline Thuy Lieu Nguyen who tirelessly work hard to build up the Congregation since its founding.
On March of 2011, the Morning Star Community was established as a child care home.
The establishment of the Province on November 25, 2011
In 2009, Sr. Josefa Ngoc Nguyen and the council members proposed to the General Chapter in Vietnam to request “ The establishment of the Province in the United States of America.” Based on the requested letter and the Constitution of the Congregation (number 132-135) of 2011, the Chapter of the Congregation was thoroughly discussed and granted the permission to establish the Province in the U.S.A.
From November 21-25 of 2011, the Province had its first Chapter under the guidance of Sr. Josefa Ngoc Nguyen, the presence of Mother Superior Sr. Anne Marilyne Bich Huong Pham, and of the council members. The Chapter includes the discussion of the Constitution, rules, goals, activity reports,…. Election of Provincial and Council members.
On November 25, 2011, Mother Superior Sr. Anne Marilyn Bich Huong Pham formally recognized the Province in the USA with the name: QuiNhon Missionary Sisters of the Holy Cross – Province in US. in the official letter. The Provincial was Sr. Magdalena Kim Oanh Duong (2011-2019).
Province current status:
Consist 28 professed sisters, 1 aspirant. The Provincial is Sr. Catherine Phuong Dang. The Provincial Convent is located at 1685 Humphrey Dr. Concord, Ca 94519.
We are serving in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Diocese of Oakland, and Diocese of San Jose at 11 parishes in the areas of Faith formation, teaching, health care and visiting prison inmates.
