Barbara Sicharter

Barbara Sicharter (born December 4, 1829 in Wenigzell ; † February 9, 1905 in Vorau ) was an Austrian Catholic religious founder.

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Barbara Sicharter was born the daughter of a farmer. She only attended elementary school for three years. After her mother died in 1858, she had to take over the farm work in her place. During a five-month illness, her desire to put herself completely at the disposal of God and to help people grew stronger. She presented her wish to the Vorau canon Karl Englhofer, who was appointed chaplain to Wenigzell in 1855 , who became her spiritual father and remained until his death.

From 1865, Barbara Sicharter and three companions from Wenigzell devoted herself entirely to serving others. She rented the "Tonihäusl" in Schachen near Vorau, and the sisters began as members of the III. Order of St. Francis a monastic life. The so-called “Blue Sisters” because of the color of their clothes were active in hospital, home and poor sick care.

In 1876 Barbara Sicharter bought the "Stroblhaus" on the edge of the Vorau market. The house was then used as a hospital and expanded for the first time in 1885. In 1880, the sisters also took over the nursing care in the Citizens Hospital in Pöllau, with which they founded their first of the later seven branches.

In order to secure the future of the community (Barbara was the legal owner and owner of the property), the sisters founded a secular association, which was officially recognized in 1897. Barbara Sicharter was elected head of this and remained so until her death.

In 1898 the order introduced a uniform, monastic costume.

As the number of patients had risen to 100 by 1900, the nurses' house was expanded in 1902 and a hospital with contemporary furnishings was created.

Barbara Sicharter died on February 9, 1905 in Vorau. The simple farmer's daughter from Wenigzell had become the founder of a monastery and hospital.

Her successor was Josefa Schweizer. In 1928 the community of sisters was approved by the Pope as an ecclesiastical congregation under diocesan law with the name “Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Vorau”. Most of the time, the sisters are simply called Vorau sisters or also sisters of Mary .

The Marienkrankenhaus Vorau, which has been expanded and modernized over the years , currently has around 130 beds. 51 sisters belong to the community today.

literature

• Pius Fank, Barbara Sicharter, country girl and founder of the Vorau sisters . Graz: Regner, 1955
• Roswitha Leonhardt / Ferdinand Hutz (eds.), The Vorauer Sisters. 50 Years of the Ecclesiastical Congregation, 1928-1978 . Vorau: Congregation of the Vorau Sisters, 1978
• Ferdinand Hutz (Ed.), The Vorauer Sisters. Contributions to the history of the congregation and the Marienkrankenhaus , Vorau / Graz: Styria, 2nd ed. 1983

Web links

• Website of the Vorauer Marienkrankenhaus