Called by the Spirit, Embracing the World.

November 2012

“Let us always have great confidence, for God the Holy Spirit can help us in all our anxieties and needs, even the greatest.”

--- Bl. Mother Maria Helena Stollenwerk, SSpS Dear Friends, When I read some of the writings of our founders I am amazed how their lives were so different

yet so similar to ours. Many of them founded religious communities in the nineteenth century

when the world’s situation was very different than it is today. Yet, many of them were

courageous to the point of even risking their lives for what they believed was right. Our Co-foundress, Blessed Mother Maria Helena Stollenwerk was one of the women in Europe

who desired to spread the word of God as a missionary in foreign lands. Her deep desire was to

go to China and teach the little children about the love of God. That desire was never granted to

her because of the political situation but it did not prevent her from sharing the Good News of

the Gospel wherever she was present. She also shared her passion for mission and her ability to

take risks. I am always amazed by her patience and her ability to risk. She was ready to, like we use to say,

jump into the deep water and say yes. As a young lady Maria Helena went to Steyl when she

heard that St. Arnold Janssen established the Divine Word Missionaries hoping that some similar

opportunity would happen to women of her time. Maria Helena waited seven years before the

foundation of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters began. Her waiting years were filled with

prayer, dedication and great love for God. She was filled with the Holy Spirit! I think there is much we have to learn from our Co-foundress nowadays. One of the things would

be the courage to jump into the unknown and trust that God is there for us. Have you ever spent

time reflecting on your trust in God? What does God say to you about taking risks? I know that taking risks might be considered a crazy thing to do sometimes and in today’s

society it is not the most popular thing to do. However, there are times when we just need to

gather some courage and jump into something that is not quite familiar. Each one of us needs to

take this step trusting that God is always near to guide us to the place designed just for us. Happy Feast Day, Blessed Maria Helena, and thanks for your example!

I also would like to invite you to our retreat that will take place in Miramar Retreat Center near

Boston on the weekend of February 15 through 17, 2013! Call or e-mail for more information.

Sincerely, Sr. Elwira Dziuk, SSpS

Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters PO Box 6026, Techny, IL 60082-6026

319 Waukegan Rd., Northfield, IL 60093

Office of Vocation Ministry Phone: 847-441-0126, ext. 704

sspsovm@aol.com www.ssps-usa.org www.worldssps.org