19th October
(Sunday) - The Holy Spirit Sisters (SSpS) of Melbourne community celebrated with many of their friends the beatification of BLESSED JOSEFA STENMANNS, who is co-foundress of their congregation.
(Sunday) - The Holy Spirit Sisters (SSpS) of Melbourne community celebrated with many of their friends the beatification of BLESSED JOSEFA STENMANNS, who is co-foundress of their congregation.‘Josefa’ (her religious name) was born ‘Hendrina’ in Issum, Germany in 1852; she died in Steyl, Holland in 1903 and beatified in Tegelen, Holland on 29th June 2008.
Being a silk weaver in real life, she was to become a weaver of souls… She was a woman of simplicity and love, deep faith and wisdom with a truly missionary heart and open to the whole wide world.
The main celebrant at the Mass was Fr. Michael Madigan, SVD, assisted by Fr. Jack Brady, parish priest of St. Anne’s, East Kew (venue of the celebration). The singing was provided by the joint choir of the Holy Spirit Sisters and the Students of the Divine Word Missionaries. Someone said that the choir was angelic. (photo below).
The MC was Sr. Christa. Since Sr. Mary John, the congregation’s Mission animator, couldn’t make it to Australia due to passport problem, Sr. Bernadette, the congregational leader, gave a beautiful and fitting Reflection after the gospel. One of the things that gave color to the celebration was that the Sisters put on their own respective cultural dresses in the countries they come from, e.g. Japanese, Korean, Fijian, Vanuatu, Indian, etc. (Photo below).
There was also a very moving offertory procession with a liturgical dance, choreographed by the Sisters. After the Mass, we were invited to a lunch and to a special cake to praise God for His great gift of BLESSED JOSEPFA. Among the guests were members of the parish, SVDs, other members of religious congregations, and many friends.
Blessed Josefa, pray for us!
