1971- The Beginnings of the Mission in Maasin, Iloilo

At the initiative of Archbishop Jaime L. Sin of the Archdiocese of Jaro, efforts were made to have the parochial schools in the area administered by religious Sisters. Among the possibilities considered, Maasin was chosen.

The St. James Catholic High School had originally been established by the Mill Hill Missionaries and was later entrusted to Filipino secular priests in 1963–1964. In 1971, the school was handed over to the Hijas de Jesús, who assumed responsibility for its administration and educational mission.

At the time recorded in the history, the school had 864 students and a staff composed of six Sisters, thirty-two faculty and staff members, and two lay collaborators. The Sisters’ apostolic work extended beyond the school to include catechesis in public schools, pastoral work in the barrios, liturgical ministry, and collaboration with the parish.

The Maasin mission thus became another expression of the Congregation’s response to the local Church, combining education, pastoral presence, and evangelization in a predominantly Catholic community.