Saint Marie Alphonsine Daniel Ghattas (1843- 1927)

Saint Marie Alphonsine Daniel Ghattas (1843- 1927) is the founder of the Congregation of the Rosary Sisters, which is an Arab congregation based in Jerusalem. “Sultana” was born in Jerusalem in 1843 to a Christian pious family. The Saint dedicated herself to praying and serving in the Congregation of Saint Joseph. In 1874, The Virgin Mary appeared to Sister Marie Alphonsine in several visions and requested her to establish the Congregation of the Rosary in order to serve the Arab girls who were marginalized, persecuted, and in need of care and attention at that time.

In 1880, Father Yousef Tannous, from the Latin Patriarchate, assisted her in founding the first community of dedicated nuns in Jerusalem. The Saint’s spiritual, community and humanitarian mission eventually spread and extended to today’s girls in most Arab countries.

In 1994, Pope Saint John Paul II recognized her heroic virtues which spread after her death in 1927. In 2009, she was beatified in Nazareth after many miracles that occurred through her intercession, and in 2015 she was canonized by Pope Francis as the first Palestinian Arab saint.

The Congregation of the Rosary Sisters, which is spread across many Arab countries, continues to preserve the spiritual and apostolic legacy of Saint Marie Alphonsine through the numerous educational institutions affiliated with the Rosary Congregation; consequently, nurturing the values ​​such as dedication to serving others, humility and piety along with providing high-quality education to thousands of Arab girls.

The Rosary Sisters schools have been able, throughout the years, to ensure the empowerment of girls and enhancing their status. Thus, our founder, Saint Marie Alphonsine, continues to spread her message of assisting the Arab girl reach her full potential.