Sisters of Divine Providence - German Province
The Sisters of Divine Providence - German Province (also Providence Sisters ) are a Catholic women's order with a focus on school service. It was founded on November 3, 1842 by the priest Eduard Michelis (1813–1855) in Münster .
history
As the community grew rapidly, branches in many towns and villages in the diocese of Münster could be established from Münster soon after it was founded in 1842.
The nuns advocated the education of women in general and secondary schools. They worked in orphanages , kindergartens , cookery and sewing schools , and set up teacher and kindergarten teacher seminars. The Kulturkampf forced them to move to the Netherlands for a few years (1876–1888) , where new foundations were established.
Since 1888 the Friedrichsburg in Münster was the center of the religious order. Until 1935 there were the following branches in the three regions (Lower Rhine, Ruhr area, western Münsterland) that then formed the Rhenish Order Province: 33 houses on the Lower Rhine, 36 houses in the Ruhr area, eight houses in western Münsterland.
During the time of National Socialism , the sisters were banned from educational activities. In World War II, almost all branches have been destroyed.
In 1954 the province expanded as the Westphalian Province was founded. Nine branches were created in Bottrop , Gelsenkirchen and Gladbeck . On March 26, 2007, the two provinces were merged and the German Province was founded. Since 2020 it has had its seat on Offenbergstrasse in Münster, next to the previous provincial office, the "Friedrichsburg".
Today, 1370 sisters live in the branches, who work in Brazil , Bolivia , Paraguay , Indonesia , Malawi and Mozambique in addition to Germany and the Netherlands . Since 2015 Sister Márian Ambrósio has been the Superior General (called “General Coordinator”). She had previously headed the Brazilian Religious Province and was the President of the Brazilian Religious Conference ( Conferência dos Religiosos do Brasil - CRB) from 2007 to 2013 .
Today the following houses exist:
- ten on the Lower Rhine ,
- 14 in the Ruhr area ,
- two in western Münsterland ,
- one in the Eifel and
- one in the Sauerland .
Hildegardis School
The Hildegardis School Münster was founded in 1920 by sister Thusnelda Mölleney .
Web links
Footnotes
- ↑ Fire on the altar. Altar consecration and blessing of the new Provincial House of the Provincial Sisters of the German Province , accessed on March 21, 2020.
- ↑ Sisters of Divine Providence: General Coordination , accessed February 3, 2020.