Sisters of the Regulated Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The Sisters of the Regulated Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are a Roman Catholic religious order belonging to the Carmelite Order . In Luxembourg they are known as the Zitha sisters.
Domkapitular Nikolaus Wies from Luxembourg founded an "Association for Christian Maids" in the 19th century and placed it under the protection of St. Zita . He won Anna Bové (religious name Mother Maria Paula of the Most Holy Sacrament) as a collaborator, who, despite her inclination to religious life, was unable to enter Carmel because of her poor health. Since 1873 she and her co-sisters have been dressed in religious costume, but it was not until 1886 that the community was officially aggregated to the Discalced Carmel . Their parent company is located in Luxembourg near the train station.
The community is active in the apostolate, at first it took care of the single maids in Luxembourg City. Soon stores in were Petingen , Enscheringen , Junglinster and Bettborn founded. Later branches were added in Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and France. The order ran kindergartens, old people's homes, maternity homes and housekeeping schools.
Due to the hospital service of the sisters during World War I, the areas of responsibility were expanded, and the community now also founded hospitals, including in St. Goar .
During the reign of National Socialism , the spiritual director Msgr. Origer died in Dachau . The monastery was abolished in 1941, but was re-established immediately after the end of the war and in 1955 elevated to the status of a papal congregation. In 1959 the first mission station was founded in Malawi .
Most of the branches in other European countries were gradually closed. Today there are only branches in Luxembourg. Many areas of activity also disappeared over time. After the clinic in Luxembourg City was given up in 2014, the Congregation currently only runs 4 old people's homes in the Grand Duchy.
In Malawi, however, new projects are still being added. Today, the Ste Zithe Foundation, founded in 1994, supports St. Gabriel's Hospital and a health station in Ganya.