By Sr. Mary Hermenegildis sspsap

In 1923 Bishop Alfredo Versoza invited our congregation to establish a convent and chapel of Perpetual Adoration in Lipa. Mother Mary Michael Sent 10 German Sisters. Here, our Sisters prayed, worked and sacrificed in order to fulfill their mission: more priests for the Philippines. However, unaccustomed to the tropical heat, the Sisters continued their Eucharistic apostolate in a cooler Climate since their health suffered considerably.

A new site was found in Baguio – Mount Tomas. The new Convent of the Most Blessed Sacrament flourished with new members.

Our most recent missionary venture is in Kuwu, Ruteng, Indonesia headed by Sister Mary Clare with two Indonesians who were trained in Tagaytay and four other Filipinos from the Cebu, Aklan and Tagaytay convents. We feel tangibly the guidance of the Spirit as more native candidates join this faith community.

Five years later, Mother Mary Aurora and her council accepted the invitation to start another apostolate in faraway Poland, the birthplace of our beloved Holy Father, John Paul II. Four Filipino sisters from our immaculate Convent in Aklan headed by Sr. Mary Hermenegildis were chosen for this new foundation. The Adoration Convent of the Divine Word in Nysa, Poland was blessed and inaugurated on October 28, 1955. Several young women from Poland and Slovakia were inspired by the Holy Spirit to dedicate themselves to a life of perpetual adoration, penance and prayer in our cloistered Nazareth life.

Blessed Arnold Janssen, our Founder, with deep insight said: “We adore not only the glorified Lord, but through him in the Holy Spirit, we also adore the Father. We unite ourselves with his loving surrender to the Father for the Life of the world. In Adoration, we enter into the intimate Father-Son-Holy Spirit relationship – a true relationship of love which is our vocation and mission.

Mary is our model, the model of a true disciple of Christ. We venerate her in our congregation under her title Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit for she was even open, receptive and responsive to Him.