The Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in short: Siostry Niepokalanki) was founded by Mother Josepha Karska (1823-1860), and by Bl. Mother Marcelina Darowska (1827-1911) with the help of father Hieronim Kajsiewicz (CR) in 1857 in Rome. Mother Marcelina, in a very crucial moment in the history of our country- 1863, moved the congregation to Jazlowiec (now Ukraine). The spiritual aim of the congregation is: Divine Glory, love as an answer to Love and accepting and fulfilling God's Will.

The mission of the Congregation is to serve the Catholic Church by prayer and renewal of the nation via formation of women. Sisters are involved in upbringing of the young generation of girls. They run kindergartens, primary schools - both for boys and girls and secondary boarding schools for girls; nowadays in Poland there are seven schools run by the sisters. Teaching religion in public schools, organizing recollections and religious retreats for individuals and groups and helping families is another their concern. Sisters devote themselves to missionary work in Belarus and Ukraine. With particular love they spread the cult of Our Lady. The Congregation possesses two Marine Shrines in Szymanow (about 50 km from the capital city, Warsaw) - the Shrine of Our Lady of Jazlowiec and in Koscierzyna (north Poland) - the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows (a beautiful 15th-century Pieta, made of sandstone). Both sculptures were crowned with the papal crowns.

Jazlowiec (Lvov diocese) used to be the mother house until 1946. Since then it has been Szymanow, Poland