BL. MARIA HELENA STOLLENWERK, ABBESS - 3 FEBRUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY

Saints celebrated on the 3rd of February

WELCOME!

BL. MARIA HELENA STOLLENWERK, ABBESS

Helena Stollenwerk was born on November 28, 1852. Her father Hans Peter Stollenwerk died when she was little, and her mother married again. Maria Helena, who grew up on her parents' farm surrounded by numerous siblings, dreamed to join the missionaries.

In 1882 she came in contact with Arnold Janssen, who resided in the Netherlands at the time. He supported her idea of the establishment of a new religious congregation of dedicated women. Meanwhile, she became a housekeeper at Arnold Janssen's "St Michael the Archangel Mission House" in Steyl. In 1884, she was joined by Hendrina Stenmanns.

In 1889, Helena became of postulant of a women's congregation established by Arnold Janssen, the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit, and on January 17, 1892 she received the religious name Maria. Six years later she became abbess.

The abbess was involved in preparing sisters who went out on missions around the world. She dispatched the first missionaries in 1895 to Argentina and others to Togo in 1897. In autumn 1899 she was diagnosed with meningitis. She died on February 3, 1900. Her final words were "Jesus, I die for You". Bl. Maria Helena is commemorated on February 3 as well as on November 28.

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Stollenwerk

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Blessed Maria Helena may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.