Historical Facts of the Prefecture

The Catholic Faith reached the Marshall Islands on Oct. 28, 1891 with the arrival of 2 French MSC Missionaries from Tarawa. Kiribati.
Later, they opened three centers:  Jaluit, Lkiep and Arno.
1902,  year of the arrival of 5 MSC Sisters from Germany.
1919.  All MSC priests, brothers and sisters were deported by the Japanese military authority.
1922.  Spanish Jesuits came to the Marshall Islands.  They were deported in 1940.
1947.  Jesuits of the New York province came; and based themselves in Likiep.
1950.  Maryknoll Sisters arrived to help the Jesuits  in Likiep in running the Holy Rosary School.
More Maryknoll Sisters and few more Jesuit Fathers and Brothers came in the course of many years.  More outer island chapels were established: Wotje, Woja, Bouj and  Namdrik.
Mary more sister congregation came:  The Mercedarian Sisters,  Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame Sisters,, etc.
1993.  On August 15, the Marshall Islands was raised into a Prefecture Apostolic.  Msgr. James Gould became the Prefect Apostolic.
2008.  On January 1, Prefecture Apostolic was turned over to the MSC congregation (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart).   Fr. Raymundo Sabio, MSC was installed on Jan.
6 as Prefect Apostolic by Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles D. Balvo, JCD, DD.