May 3, 2025 | NEWS
On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, during the Easter octave, we were able to inaugurate our first house in Indonesia. It was a great joy for us to see how many guests had accepted our invitation: priests, religious, representatives of public institutions, even a representative of the provincial government of the island of Flores, as well as friends, helpers, and residents of the town and surrounding area. We had already received a great deal of help and support in the preparations for this day. Our great friend and helper, Fr. Tadeusz (a Steyler missionary), had organized many things: over a hundred chairs were provided and tents were set up to protect the guests from the sun. On the day itself, many helpers arrived to take care of the provision and preparation of drinks and food, as well as serving the guests. We ourselves, the sisters, the postulants, and the candidates, had already been busy the day before with the decorations and festive arrangements.
It was a joyful celebration, which began with a festive prayer service. A representative of the bishop (who unfortunately could not attend that day), Dean Aster, had prepared it and at the end he blessed our house and the individual rooms. Afterwards, our postulants and the candidate delighted us all with a dance in the traditional clothing of the country, which was rewarded with much applause and inspired our guests and also us sisters to dance ourselves. Then everyone was invited to the buffet, and the celebration gradually came to an end with good food, lively conversation, and getting to know one another. May God’s blessing accompany the work of our sisters on Flores, so that they may be a blessing to the people there.
Apr 30, 2025 | NEWS
On April 16, 2025, we had the great joy of welcoming the first three young women from Indonesia into our community as postulants.
In preparation, the Superior General, who was visiting Flores at the time, held a three-day retreat for them.
During Holy Mass on the afternoon of April 16, Filomena, Ursula, and Veronika were accepted as postulants. Holy Mass was celebrated by Fr. Jan (a local Steyler missionary, SVD), who accompanies our candidates and postulants as spiritual director and confessor. Concelebrants were Fr. Tadeusz and Fr. Bosco (both SVD). After the homily, the candidates knelt before the altar and asked Our Lady, our patroness, for help, protection, and guidance to her Son, our Lord, to whom they now wish to belong completely in our congregation.
As a sign of acceptance, the Superior General presented each of them with a small Miraculous Medal.
After Holy Mass, everyone congratulated the new postulants, and the day ended with a joyful dinner together.
Let us accompany our postulants and the new beginning of our congregation in Indonesia with our prayers, so that the work of our founder may grow there and become a blessing for the people.
Apr 18, 2025 | NEWS
After beginning our mission on the island of Flores in Indonesia in 2024, we are delighted to have been able to build our first mission house there. Initially, the sisters and three young women who want to join our congregation lived in a small house with the Steyler Missionaries (SVD). Father Tadeusz, a Polish missionary who has lived on the island of Flores for over 60 years and has built many facilities, schools, hospitals, and other institutions there, made this house available to us. He also helped us with the purchase of a plot of land and the construction of our mission station. This enabled the Superior General, Sr. Sybilla, and the Vicar, Sr. Petra, to stay in the newly built house and live with the small community during their visit to Flores from April 1 to 23, 2025.
The house is not large, but the sisters and candidates (there are now four) have their own small living quarters. There is a small chapel, a kitchen, a refectory, and one guest room. The grounds, on the other hand, are quite large, and further buildings are planned in the hope that the small community will grow and young women will want to join us. The sisters grow vegetables on the grounds, which is very helpful for their daily needs.
The sisters are already active in the parish. They help distribute Holy Communion, which is necessary during Sunday services, as the large church is often filled to capacity. Over 90 percent of the population of Flores is Catholic, and the people there take their faith very seriously. After Sunday Mass, the sisters also bring Holy Communion to the sick and elderly, and it is touching to see how much the people look forward to this visit. This has already helped us establish good contacts with the local people. The local residents and the parish are very happy that our congregation has started its mission here, and they are proud of it. They are open and helpful towards the sisters, so we look to the future with hope, trusting deeply that God’s blessing will accompany our small community and enable it to be a blessing for the people of Flores.
Apr 18, 2025 | NEWS
Due to an acute shortage of sisters and the advanced age of the sisters in the German region, the leadership of our congregation was forced to close St. Hedwig Convent in Cochem after 72 years of service by our sisters at this location. At the end, there were only three sisters living in the convent, aged 70, 86, and 94. Two of them were cared for in the residential area of the nursing home.
On March 14, 2025, a festive farewell and thanksgiving service was held in the chapel of the St. Hedwig nursing home to mark this occasion. In addition to the regional superior, Sr. Cordula, the general superior, Sr. Sybilla, and the vicar general, Sr. Petra, also attended. The facility management, many employees, residents and their relatives, the mayor and residents of the town of Cochem also came to express their regret at the departure of the sisters, but also their gratitude for their many years of service. For most people in Cochem, the sisters are an integral part of the townscape and especially of the St. Hedwig nursing home. This makes the farewell so difficult.
At the end of the service, the Superior General thanked the sisters and especially the last Mother Superior of the convent, Sr. Felicitas Pöller, for their faithful and blessed service. She wished her and the other two sisters God’s blessing for their new beginning in a new environment. As a symbol of this, she presented Sr. Felicitas with an icon of an angel with the wish that it would be a good companion for her. The Superior General also thanked all the staff, residents, priests, and friends who have always stood by our sisters with advice and active help during this long period. She said, “Although we are closing the religious community in this house today, our mission does not end. We will remain connected to you in the future and pray for you and this place, so that it may continue to be a place of faith, love, and mutual care.”
After the Mass, a small reception was held for all the sisters and guests, and there was a lively exchange of ideas and many memories of past times were refreshed.
May God’s blessings continue to accompany us all.
Mar 9, 2025 | NEWS
The Generalate held a ceremony to present decrees to superiors.
Sister M. Agnes Mwanajimba received a decree for her third term as Superior of the Tanzania Region.
Sister M. Franciszka Jarnot received a decree for her first term as superior at the Generalate
Sr. M. Magdalena Delczyk was appointed as superior in Pompeii.
We wish the sisters superiors the light of the Holy Spirit and a deep personal relationship with Jesus, to whom we all belong. May Mary guide our sisters superiors along the path of her Son.
Mar 9, 2025 | NEWS
From February 1st to March 4th, three sisters from the Tanzanian regional board visited Europe. The main purpose of the visit was to hold workshops and preparatory meetings for the regional chapter, which is scheduled for this fall. During this time, in addition to preparations for the chapter, the sisters made a jubilee pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter in Rome with the Generalate community. They also had time to meet with the Holy Father before his sickness. They also went on pilgrimage to the grave of our Father and Founder and Sister Dulcissima. They visited many communities in Poland and Germany as well as our sisters in Pompeii. It was a very intense and eventful time for them. The sisters were showered with kindness and love in our European communities. When they left, they thanked everyone for such a wonderful welcome and admitted that after this visit, they understood the word “unity” in our Congregation more deeply and connected it with the experience they had during their visit.
