Benedictine Sisters of St. Lioba
The Benedictine Sisters of St. Lioba (also: Liobaschisters ) are a Benedictine sisters' federation that was founded in 1927 in Freiburg- Günterstal by Maria Föhrenbach . They are not to be confused with the Saint Lioba community founded by Hildegard Michaelis in the Netherlands in 1935 (with other monasteries in Switzerland and France).
history
Prehistory from 1918
The bathing woman Maria Föhrenbach (1883–1961), who came from a middle-class family and who had served in the hospital during the First World War and had become head of the infant nursing school in the newly built children's hospital St. Hedwig in Freiburg im Breisgau , summarized (together with her older colleague Elisabeth Steinbacher , 1876–1932) envisaged the establishment of a Benedictine sisterhood after she had felt the call to do so during visits to the monasteries of Einsiedeln and Beuron . Together with the Germanist Dr. Lieselotte Wulff (1896–1961) she began a novitiate in the monastery of Eibingen in 1921 , was dressed on May 1st and took the religious name Maria Benedicta (at the same time Lieselotte Wulff the name Hildegardis ).
Foundation in Günterstal
However, since the statutes submitted in Rome were rejected, the novitiate was abandoned and the two women returned to Freiburg. In agreement with Archbishop Karl Fritz , the three women founded the secular association St. Lioba e. V., took private vows and dressed other members. In 1922 they achieved the status of regular oblate women (with an annual profession ). The sisterhood grew rapidly and on March 21, 1927, with Roman approval, achieved the status of a canonically established congregation (name: Congregation of the Sisters of St. Lioba , characteristic: the connection of Benedictine spirituality with Caritas and pastoral care). To prioress Maria Föhrenbach was elected (after Elisabeth Steinbacher in 1923 Constance had committed and Lieselotte Wulff in 1927 after Romania oriented). The seat of the congregation was the purchased Villa Wohlgemuth in Günterstal (future: St. Lioba Monastery). From 1928 to 1933 Edith Stein was in close contact with the monastery, which she became aware of through Placida Laubhardt . The better-known members also included Katharina Katzenmaier (1918–2000) and Michaela von Neipperg (1885–1957).
Federation of Saint Lioba
From Günterstal there were further foundings. In 1955 the independent priories merged to form the Federation of Saint Lioba and elected Maria Föhrenbach as Prioress General.
Foundations
- 1931: Timisoara in Romania (under Bishop Augustin Pacha ) by Hildegardis Wulff (expelled in 1949)
- 1933–2007: Tauberbischofsheim (place of activity of the Lioba von Tauberbischofsheim , patroness of the congregation)
- 1935: Namur (Coquelet Monastery) by Josephine of Belgium (1872–1958), who joined the congregation after the death of her husband Karl Anton (Hohenzollern) (dissolved after her death)
- 1935: Sønderborg in Denmark by Gertrud Ballin, daughter of the Jewish painter Mogens Ballin (1841–1914), who converted to Catholicism. 1963 move to a new monastery in Copenhagen (consisting of: Sankt Lioba kloster, Jens Jessensvej 7, 2000 Frederiksberg DK)
- 1946–1994: Wald Monastery (home school)
- 1975: Begumganj ( Madhya Pradesh ) in India. Relocated to Bhopal in 1992 . Today 17 branches with 115 sisters.
- 2007: Cella St. Lioba on Petersberg near Fulda
- 2008: Takeover of the St. Gabriel Monastery (founded in Prague in 1888, relocated to Bertholdstein Castle in Austria in 1920, in Sankt Johann bei Herberstein since 2008 )
