Schniewind House Sorority
The Schniewind House Sisterhood is a community that is affiliated with the Julius Schniewindhaus eV. This facility in Schönebeck (Elbe) is a spiritual retreat and meeting place and a pastoral care and conference center in the Evangelical Church . The sisterhood of the Julius Schniewind House is involved in the " Temporary Monastery " project of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). The sisterhood currently has 43 sisters, 34 of whom live in the Julius Schniedwind House and the other sisters have their own residence.
history
The roots go back to the beginning of the 20th century when the "Annastiftung" was established in Schönberg near Görlitz . This foundation consisted of a kindergarten , a crèche , a children's home , a rest home, an old people's home and a farm . From this institution , a deaconess sisterhood was founded in 1914 by the head of the "Annastiftung", Stephani von Zastrow (1874–1950) . After the Second World War , the sisters were expelled and found a new place of work in Sonneberg ( Thuringia ) in 1950 . In 1955 a new branch with a spiritual character was formed. The then pastor Bernhard Jansa (1901–1967) and at the same time rector of the Annastiftung, was appointed to Schönebeck in 1957, to the house named after Julius Schniewind . The new community of sisters followed their spiritual rector and founded their new mother house in the Julius Schniewind House . Over the next few years the sisterhood grew to 60 sisters and was involved in the service of the Schniewind House from the start.
Task and self-image
The community is a sisterhood that lives as a life and service community according to the evangelical counsels . Your daily routine is determined by the alternation of prayer and work. The focus of the work is on looking after the guests, this is done through prayers , preaching and pastoral care . The daily work extends beyond the meeting center and also includes work in the parish .
Conditions for registration
During the postulate period, the candidates learn how to live and work together as a sisterhood. This is followed by acceptance into the community, which is to be equated with the beginning of the novitiate . After several years of living together and the recognition of the evangelical counsels, the novice makes her promise for life. The rules say:
“Every single sister knows that Jesus is called to fellowship with the Triune God, to fellowship with one another and to serve people. This vocation is presented in common life in the service of prayer, in hospitality, in practical tasks, in pastoral care and preaching and in diaconal and missionary services. We are aware that all of this can only happen with the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Our life and our common mission should make us one with Jesus, who prayed: "Your kingdom come! Your will be done!" (Mt. 6:10) and "Father, I gave them the glory that you gave me so that they might be one as we are one, I in them and you in me." (Joh. 17,22-23a). As a life cell of the body of Christ we are thus placed in the service of unity for the coming of the kingdom of heaven. "