In 1955, in response to the pressing request of Father Henri Petit, S.M.A., part of the apostolic delegation of Dakar, the R.H.S.J. General Council accepted this first mission in Dahomey , then a French colony known as “the White People’s grave”.

On January 15, 1956, six sisters from Montreal arrived in Porto Novo to care for the sick in the local hospital. For more than 20 years, nearly 25 sisters gave themselves to this mission, while sacrificing their health.

Dahomey obtained its independence in 1960 and took the name of Benin fifteen years later. The opening of a novitiate, not having been authorized by the Diocesan Bishop, young African women could not become R.H.S.J. Lacking younger members to take over, the congregation closed the mission of Porto Novo in 1979.

With the approbation of the General Council, in the fall of 1960 three R.H.S.J.’s from Porto Novo arrived in Badjoude (Dompago) in the northern part of Dahomey, where they had been asked to take over:

Throughout a quarter of a century about 18 sisters would work in this mission. Because of lack of personnel, the last sisters left on November 21, 1985.

This time again, in response to an appeal from the priest-founder of the mission, three sisters arrived in September 1971 in Chabicouma, about 40 km from Badjoude. They would serve in diverse apostolates: