The foundress of the congregation was Mother Mary of Jesus, born Émilie d'Oultremont de Warfusée, a member of a prominent Belgian Catholic family.

[1] The young widow d’Hooghvorst, who had already experienced a mystical vision of God while attending a ball, was drawn more deeply into the spiritual life.

It occurred on 8 December 1854, the same day as Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception to be a formal dogma of the Catholic Church.

From the start, a part of the day of each Sister's life was dedicated to adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, which would be done in pairs, and the primary ministry of the community was conducting retreats for women following the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola.

Within two years of their foundation, the Sisters of Mary Repartrix were invited to establish a community in India, in the Apostolic Vicariate of Madurai, which had been confided by the Holy See to the care of the Society of Jesus.

[1] A young novice, Sister Mary of the Passion, was sent to this mission in 1865, where, due to the trust she had gained with the foundress, she was immediately appointed as the Provincial Superior of the communities in India after she professed her religious vows.

The Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were founded in Spain that same year by two sisters who had joined the congregation shortly before.

Opening of Houses are in Mexico in Guadalajara-Nueva Santa Maria, on March 17, 2016, and in San Luis Potosí-Cristo Misionero, on September 15, 2016.

In Kenya, the sisters are involved in running a center where for deprived girls are taught embroidering, tailoring, hair dressing, food nutrition and other short courses.