The Association of the Friends of the Good Shepherd Museum
Benefactors always worked alongside John Eudes and Sr. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier to support their mission, the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd always sought to work with Lay Partners, some of them being “Lay Associates”.
For this reason, the Sisters entrust some of their structures to Associates who administer them with an external view. These are composed above all of Lay Partners as well as some Sisters (the Vineyards of the Abbey of St. Nicholas, the Good Shepherd Guest House…).
When the Sisters created their Museum they got in touch with the descendants of the earlier benefactors even those of the family of St. Mary Euphrasia, the family members of our Sisters and other clubs with humanitarian goals similar to those of the Congregation.
With the 3 appointed Sisters the persons who were contacted a study of the statutes began in 2014, which led to the creation of the Association of the Friends of the Good Shepherd Museum on 28th November 2014.
Its members drew up the following explanatory preamble: “The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, known as the Good Shepherd, has its Motherhouse in Angers (France) and is present all over the world, on the 5 continents.
Its mission is to help persons living in precarious and difficult circumstances in society, especially women and children, and to act upon the causes that are marginalizing them.
Angers is a symbolic place attracting both members of the Congregation and Mission Partners wishing to discover its roots. This is why the Congregation wished to create a place of memory opened to everyone and dedicated to its history as well as its past and present mission. This living Heritage Centre, called “Museum of the Good Shepherd” also seeks to raise the awareness of a large public, local and international, regarding the current activities of the Congregation and the present social challenges.”
“The management of the Museum of the Good Shepherd, its development and outreach and the preservation of the heritage in its care.”
The members of the Board currently numbers 10, and are ready to co-opt other people who would be interested and motivated in making our Museum known.
Other subscribers, also volunteers, are in charge of welcoming the visitors and guiding them through the Museum.
Naturally, the Association also counts on donating members who can thus help us with their donations if they cannot be physically present.
You can also become subscribing members (see the following membership form) or donating members with a possibility to benefit from tax exemption according to the current law.