On 8 August 1868 the first eight sisters left Dernbach (Prussia) to sail for the US from Le Havre de Grace (France). Their names were: Sister (Sr.) Rosa (Blum / She served as their Superior. Due to her presence, the whole endeavour had quite a prominent standing, as she was also the niece of the Bishop of Limburg.) Sr. Eudoxia (Bender) Sr. Hyazintha (Neuroth) Sr. Matrona (Moehring) Sr. Facunda (Wand / other spelling Fakunda) Sr. Bella (Sienoecke) Sr. Henrica (Sienoecke) and Sr. Corona (Jahn). They were chosen out of 200 sisters which had volunteered to serve in the US. They boarded ship on the 13th and reached New York on 24 August 1868. From there, they took the train to Fort Wayne. From here, they left on the back of a horse-drawn cart on to Hessen Kassel. Here they established their first mission on the 'Feast of St. Rose', 30 August 1868. Their tasks were nursing and schooling and they were introduced to the local community by Father Edward Koenig. He acted on behalf of Bishop John Henry Luers of the Fort Wayne Diocese who had issued an invitation for them. (In due course Father Koenig remained as 'advisor' with the sisters in their newly established Motherhouse in Fort Wayne. With this position, he established a close working relationship between the sisters and the bishop. He served in this function three consecutive bishops of the Fort Wayne diocese (John Henry Luers, Joseph Gregory Dwenger and Joseph Rademacher) until his death on January 22, 1898.)