Maryknoll Sisters were invited by the Cardinal Archbishop of Chile to work for the education of the very poor. The Maryknoll priests and brothers also extended an invitation to collaborate with them in their parish schools. The first two Maryknoll Sisters went to Galvarino in 1950, and the pastor wrote: "God sent them."

"The Maryknoll Sisters won the hearts of the people. They were not just in the classrooms, they were in the homes. They disciplined both the child and the parents. They were the pastors." One hundred and three Maryknoll Sisters have served in Chile from the far south to the desert north.

Those first 15 years were a fruitful time of staffing schools for the poor. As an aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, there was a shift from institutions to direct evangelization with the Chilean Church. Chilean bishops desired a strong Church presence in the marginated areas of the larger cities. The basic option for the poor didn’t change but a new way of sharing life with the poor, learning daily from them and serving them, has developed. Justice issues and the defense of human life permeated all the ministries.

With a heightened awareness of women’s issues, the Sisters opted to dedicate time and energy to the promotion of women. Lay leadership courses enabled the laity to assume leadership positions, a shift from the former role of the Sisters leading and organizing pastoral groups.

The Maryknoll Sisters in Chile have an honor roll of two martyrs: