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Mother Mary Michaele, SSpS (Hendrina Stenmanns)
Cofounder, Sisters-Servants of the Holy Spirit Introduction of cause: 02 April 1982 Venerable: 14 May 1991
Born in Westphalia, Germany, Mother Mary Michaele pursued the teaching profession before joining Father Janssen's newly formed woman's missionary congregation. Invested with the blue habit and white veil of the Mission Sisters, Sister Michaele made temporary vows with them and was later appointed for the African Missions. The appointment was cancelled and she became one of the founding group to receive the rose-colored habit and white scapular and veil of the cloistered branch on December 8, 1896. A year later Mother Mary Michaele was chosen acting superior of the cloistered community. Later she was elected superior general, an office she exercised until her death.
Through Mother Mary Michaele's efforts, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters received its own rule and became an independent foundation. She supervised the erection of the Motherhouse, was instrumental in having perpetual exposition introduced into the congregation, and she herself chose the roman Breviary for the Sisters' choir prayer. In addition she introduced the special nocturnal intercessory prayer for priests and gave the Congregation an international character by opening chapels of perpetual adoration in the United States, Germany, the Philippines, and China. |
