Missionary Sisters Servants of The Holy Spirit - History

History

Saint Arnold Janssen, a German diocesan priest, did not plan to be a founder. At first, he only felt called to work for missionary animation in his country. In the course of his work, he saw the great need for Germany to have a society for missionaries. A man of great faith, he responded to this need by founding the society himself. Thus, the birth of the Divine Word Missionaries, also known as Society of the Divine Word or SVD (Latin: Societas Verbi Divini).

Father Arnold saw the need for women religious to complement the work of the Divine Word Missionaries who had spread throughout the world following the colonial expansion of the 19th century. He realized the need not only for missionary priests and brothers, but also for missionary women. The volunteers at the SVD mission house included women as well as men. A group of women, including Blessed Maria Helena Stollenwerk, served the community. Their wish was to serve the mission as religious sisters. The faithful, selfless service they freely offered, and a recognition of the important role women could play in missionary outreach, urged Janssen to found the mission congregation of the “Servants of the Holy Spirit” or SSpS. With two German women, Helena Stollenwerk and Hendrina Stenmanns, he founded the congregation on December 8, 1889. The first Sisters left for Argentina in 1895.

From the very beginning, their vision has been to share God’s love and the knowledge of Jesus Christ with people of different nationalities and cultures, in whatever ways they can.

Janssen also founded the Missionary Sisters Servant Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration (Latin:Congregatio Servarum Spiritus Sancti de Adoratione perpetua), or Holy Spirit Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, also known as Pink Sisters on September 8, 1896. This is a contemplative congregation.