Dear Fathers, Sisters, Parishioners and Friends:
Today we gather with hearts overflowing with gratitude as we celebrate the 125 years of presence and ministry of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in the United States of America! The USA is celebrating 250 years! The sisters have been here for one-half of those years! Today is so much more than an anniversary celebration. It is also a celebration of God’s faithfulness across generations. It is a moment to remember the past, to give thanks for the present, and to look forward to the future with renewed hope.
What a blessing it has been to me as a priest and bishop to have known and worked with so many different congregations of religious women and men who have been serving in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. Having been educated as a child by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, I was able to come to know them and work with them later in my life of ministry as well as the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, the Sisters of Mercy of Brooklyn, the Sisters of the Presentation of Newburg, the Carmelite Sisters, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Each group has brought its own history, its own charism, and its own particular area of service to our local church. In recent years, as these wonderful religious communities have declined in numbers, our Diocese has been tremendously blessed with new religious communities that have come to our shores from different lands—each of them bringing a new dimension of ministerial service and along with that a renewed zeal and an apostolic energy that has been such a great blessing and a true gift.
In preparation for today’s Mass, I ask the three local sisters here at Resurrection-Ascension Convent if they would have time for a meeting with me so that I could come to know them better and to understand their mission. They invited me to their convent for dinner and a meeting which I really enjoyed. They shared their vocation stories and a real love for their work. Sister Ancy, originally from India, Sister Marides, originally from the Philippines, and Sister Rosa, originally from East Temur, inspired me with the history of the congregation and its tremendous success in accomplishing the tasks entrusted to their care. Today, three sisters from Chicago have come to this joyful celebration. Welcome! Besides celebrations 125 years in the United States, we are also marking their 25th anniversary of their arrival in our own beloved Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens,
The question you might be asking today is: what has sustained these sisters throughout the 137 years of the existence of order, the 125 years of service in the USA, and the 25 years of presence here in this Diocese? The answer is found in the name they bear: Servants of the Holy Spirit. Yes, they serve God- God is their boss! In the Acts of the Apostles, it is the Holy Spirit who sends, it is the Holy Spirit who guides, it is the Holy Spirit who strengthens, and it is the Holy Spirit who renews! Whenever the Church has faced uncertainty, it is the Spirit who has opened new paths. Whenever missionaries have crossed Oceans and cultures, it is the Spirit who has gone before them. Praised be God the Holy Spirit- the third person and often the forgotten person of the Blessed Trinity. And praised be this one God in three persons who spirituality these sisters have embraced.
In 1901-125 years ago, when the ship landed in New York that had set sail from the Netherlands, followed by a train ride to Chicago-an adventure began for which we give thanks to God and to those sisters today. Yes, 125 years of grace, mission, and service as our program is entitled. Having been moved and empowered by the Spirit, called to serve God’s people, called to bring and the Good News to Gods people. We stand in awe and admiration of what God has been accomplishing through you! Your missionary apostolate fueled by perpetual adoration of the blessed Sacrament has born much fruit and continues to thrive in our midst. Worldwide, you have 2800 sisters who minister to God’s people, and you have 53 sisters here in the paraclete province. You minister to 23 nationalities in 48 countries in the world. You are still attracting vocation mostly in Vietnam and in Haiti. You work in schools, hospitals, parishes, and you serve immigrants. You are truly women of the church and the Catholic Church here in the United States, and we in the Diocese of Brooklyn are blessed to have you. It is our joy to join you in praising and thanking God in honoring those who have come before you and as you ask for perseverance in the vocation that God has given you.
The book you shared with me- that was produced for the 125th anniversary of the founding of the order is quite rich in stories and in the history of your work. And today, you gather to continue to write chapters in this history as you serve the Lord with a joyful spirit. Keep up your good work; keep moving forward; keep letting the Holy Spirit direct you.
The first sisters (Sisters Foureria, Leonarda, Klara, Martina, and Alexia) who came to America surely faced challenges- new languages-unfamiliar customs-limited resources- and uncertain futures! Yet they trusted that Holy Spirit who called them would also sustain them. Their confidence was not in themselves but in God’s Providence. They made Mary’s prayer that we heard in the Gospel their own prayer: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.” Sisters, thank you for your “yes”. Thank you for saying “yes” day after day often in hidden ways. Thank you for saying “yes” as you pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Thank you for saying “yes” to the needs of God’s people. The Church in the USA has been enriched immeasurably by your “yes” to God’s call.
The celebration of any anniversary such as this one today reminds us that anniversary celebrations are not only about the past, but also about the future. The greatest tribute we can pay to the pioneer sisters who came to this country 125 years ago is to not only remember them but also to encourage those who are continuing their mission today. The greatest anniversary gift we can give is the promise of our prayers for you today and in the days ahead.
To any of the younger generation who might possibly be considering a vocation to the consecrated life-this anniversary stands as a powerful testimony that a life given completely to God is a fruitful and beautiful life. The world still needs women and men today who are willing to follow Christ wholeheartedly and to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them. Thank you, sisters, for your good example and your life given to God. Be assured of our love and our prayers. Blessed Mother Josepha, pray for us. Blessed Maria, pray for us. St. Arnold Janssen, pray for us!
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