Congregation of the Helpers
The Congregation of the Helpers is a Catholic religious order for women, the so-called helpers of the poor souls in purgatory . The Apostolic Community was founded in Paris in 1856 by Eugénie Smet . The full name of the order is "Congregation of the Helpers of the Souls in Purgatory" (French Societé des Auxiliatrices des âmes du Purgatoire , abbreviated "SA"). Today around 70 sisters in Germany, Austria, Romania, Hungary and India are among the helpers , around 700 women are involved in this religious community worldwide. The sisters have various professions.
The spirituality , the spiritual life of the community is characterized by the person and the objectives of the Holy Ignatius of Loyola , founder of the Jesuit order , and is therefore called "Ignatian spirituality" means.
The historical roots of the helpers are on the threshold of modern times , they are shaped by the change of perspective in the history of ideas, especially by the turn to the individual , to the concrete individual.
Is characteristic of the spirituality of the helpers
- the central importance of Jesus Christ ,
- the appreciation of individual formation through education, scrutiny of scriptures, exercises , spiritual accompaniment and differentiation of spirits,
- the motto "Seeking God in all things": The everyday life of religious sisters is shaped by the idea that it is possible for people to encounter God in worldly activity and in everyday experience.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Festschrift for the 150th anniversary of the Order ( Memento of October 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 1.80 MB)