Opus Spiritus Sancti

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The Opus Spiritus Sancti (Work of the Holy Spirit) (OSS) is a Roman Catholic organization consisting of five communities and was founded in 1950 by the Catholic priest Bernhard Bendel .

founder

Bernhard Bendel was a Catholic clergyman, born on October 20, 1908 in Steinefrenz in the southern Westerwald . Bernhard was the eldest of eleven children of the married couple Heinrich Georg Bendel and his wife Katharina, b. Michel. The father ran an inn and he also worked as a farmer. After primary school and private Latin lessons, Bernhard started school at the grammar school in Hadamar in the Westerwald. After six years, Bernhard Bendel passed his Abitur in 1928 . Then he began his studies at the Philosophical-Theological University Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt am Main . On December 8, 1933 he was in the Limburg Cathedral by Bishop Anthony Hilfrich for ordained priests . He took up his first position as chaplain on March 21, 1934 in Bad Schwalbach , the second on April 25, 1936 in Geisenheim / Rheingau. From July 1, 1937, he worked as coadjutor in Neuenhain , and from May 1, 1940 as chaplain in Hattersheim . On June 1, 1940 he was appointed pastor curator , later pastor in Mammolshain / Taunus.

In October 1949, Bendel spoke to Georg Höhle, then Vicar General of the Limburg diocese , about establishing a community of sisters. Further discussions followed, in which the Limburg Bishop Wilhelm Kempf was also involved. In January 1950, Bernhard Bendel made a pilgrimage to Rome to the graves of the Apostles Peter and Paul on the occasion of the beatification of Vincent Pallotti . The words of the bishop, “By commissioning a new community of sisters, you can work much more deeply in the church than if you are just a pastor in a parish ”, was the decisive factor in agreeing to the establishment of a community of sisters.

Bernhard Bendel died on January 19, 1980 in Mammolshain under the care of the Holy Spirit Sisters.

Communities

  • Apostolic Community of Sisters - Holy Spirit Sisters (ALCS) (1950)
  • Secular institute of women - Heilig-Geist-Gemeinschaft (SIW) (1951/1977) (to become secular institutes)
  • Community of Apostolic Christians (CAC) (1953)
  • Secular Institute of Priests (SIP) (1954)
  • Apostolic Community of Priests (ALCP) (1974)

(The international / English abbreviation is in the first bracket, the year of foundation in the second)

Sisters (ALCS)

Starting with seven diaconal sisters, Bernhard Bendel developed a women's community in 1950, which was called Opus Spiritus Sancti (Work of the Holy Spirit). May 28, 1950 is assumed to be the founding day of Opus Spiritus Sancti. In the beginning, married women also belonged to the community. A little later, unmarried women joined as external sisters . For many years there was an external and internal sisters way of life . In 1972 the external and some of the internal sisters separated by mutual agreement. Since then, two communities have existed side by side, the sisters and the secular institute of women. The international leader is Sr. Mary Sosamma Thekkechundevalel, currently Königstein-Mammolshain.

Pastoral workers

Bernhard Bendel drew up a training plan in May 1950 that was recognized by the Limburg Episcopal Ordinariate. The sisters should be taught basic theology and they should also help the priests in the parishes in the pastoral care. After completing their training, they received the " Missio canonica ". As many sisters as possible should use this training to prepare for their ministry. This training was also the basis of the theological-pastoral seminar founded in 1956.

Women (SIW)

The international leader of this community is Theresia Mrosso from Tanzania. The head of the German community is Johanna Lehmann, Königstein-Mammolshain.

World Priest (SIP)

Since 1952 a secular institute for diocesan priests has been developed, the members of which consecrated their lives to the Holy Spirit. As early as 1960, the community of priests and sisters began to expand beyond Germany's borders, for example to the USA, Africa and India. The international director is Rev. Fr. Raymond Ambroise, India.

(See main article: Secular Institutes Opus Spiritus Sancti )

Laypersons (CAC)

The Community of Apostolic Christians (CAC) originally started out as a ring of prayers . Today's international director is Ms. Inge Keller from Oberursel; Ms. Bernadette Knauer, Mainz, is responsible for Germany.

ALCP

The international director is Joseph Israel, Moshi, Tanzania. The community includes several bishops: Ludovic Minde , Bishop of Moshi , Joseph Mlola , Bishop of Kigoma , and Beatus Christian Urassa , Bishop of Sumbawanga .

"3. Medal"

Both SIP and SIW have groups of friends who meet regularly.

spirituality

The OSS has an Easter-Pentecostal spirituality that is laid down in the Directorium Spirituale (Ed .: ILT of Opus Spiritus Sancti). We pray for a new Pentecost so that God may be all in all.

Geographical distribution

Germany

Members of the OSS can be found in the dioceses of Limburg (1950), Würzburg, Munich, Mainz (1970), Trier (1994) and Cologne (2001).

United States

Members of the OSS live in the states of Iowa (1962), Oregon (1974), Arizona, Rhode Island.

Africa

Members of the OSS live in Tanzania (1964), Malawi (1993), Kenya (1987), South Africa, Uganda.

India

Members of the OSS live in the states of Andhra Pradesh (1981), Kerala (1975), Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu.

Philippines

Since 1994 members of the OSS have also been living in the Philippines.

Committees, structures

General Statute of the Communities in Opus Spiritus Sancti (dt.)
General Constitution of the communities in the Opus Spiritus Sancti (Engl.) (Ed .: ILT of Opus Spiritus Sancti)
International Leadership Team (ILT)
International Consilium convenes every six years, elects ILT -Members as well as international leaders, confirmed “General Constitution”
country coordinator / management team

Events

Opus days

  • Pentecost meeting,
  • Bernhard Bendel Memorial Day (usually at the end of January)

Further

  • Retreats,
  • Retreats,
  • Formation,
  • Open day on May 20, 2002

Management, coordination

The heads of the plant were previously Rector Bernhard Bendel, Pastor Karl-Wilhelm Bruno, Rev. Fr. Jim McCormick and Rev. Fr. Thomas J. Flanagan.

Bernhard Bendel House

Conference house of the communities under the direction of SIW and SIP, as well as advice from a spiritual advisory board. Pastor Paul-Albert Simon, who died on a trip to Africa in the summer of 2005, was the leader for many years.

Anniversaries

50 years of Opus Spiritus Sancti in Königstein-Mammolshain

Publications

  • Karl W. Bruno / Thomas J. Flanagan (eds.), History of the Opus Spiritus Sancti (1996)
  • Karl W. Bruno / Thomas J. Flanagan (eds.), History of Opus Spiritus Sancti (1996)
  • Karl W. Bruno, A Spirituality of Pentecost in the Opus Spiritus Sancti (1981)
  • Karl W. Bruno, Pentecostal Spirituality in Opus Spiritus Sancti (1981)
  • Karl W. Bruno, Living the Spirituality of the Opus Spiritus Sancti (1984)
  • Karl W. Bruno, Living the Spirituality of Opus Spiritus Sancti Daily: Meditations after the Church Year (1984)
  • Amedeus Macha, The juridical identity of the societies of apostolic life compared to institutes of consecrated life in the light of the present code of canon law (CIC), Can. 731 - a Comparative Study (Rome 1994)
  • Phocas A. Masawe, The Spirituality of the Opus Spiritus Sancti (Rome 1988)
  • Ludovic J. Minde, True Greatness in the Christian Community (Luke 9: 46-48 and par.), Rome 1995
  • Henry Njaamba Mrema, The Apostolic Life Community of Priests, History and Spirituality (Rome 1998)
  • Sosamama Naduvelayil, The Spirituality of the Opus Spiritus Sancti, o.O., oJ

Periodicals and Festschriften

  • VENI (English-German), Ed .: ILT of Opus Spiritus Sancti (published twice a year)
  • The Renewal (English-German), Ed .: International management of the SIP (published since July 1974)
  • Mitteilungen , Ed .: Bernhard Bendel (published 1956–1970)
  • Silver Jubilee - The sisters of the Work of the Holy Spirit - Tansania 1964–1989 (Ed .: ALCS in Tansania)
  • Silver Jubilee Souvenir 1969-1994 (Ed .: ALCS in India)
  • Opus Publication (Eng.), Opus Schriften (German), ed. by Karl W. Bruno, House of Prayer (published since 1995)
  • Writings of the Secular Institute of Priests (SIP) (English-German)
  • Constitutions of the SIP for diocesan priests in the OSS (English-German)
  • Formation Program of the SIP for diocesan priests in the OSS (English)
  • Manual for the Time of Preparation for the SIP in the OSS
  • Introductory Correspondence Course (12 letters, engl.)
  • The Secular Institute of Priests in the OSS (Ed .: Abraham Kakanatt, Engl.)
  • The work of the Holy Spirit - Opus Spiritus Sancti - introduces itself (Ed .: Thomas Merz, 1993)
  • Yearbook for the Diocese of Limburg (1981)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dictionary of African Christian Biography (DACB) ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dacb.org

literature

Web links