Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration

Date of Foundation: December 8, 1896

Place of Foundation: Steyl (Shta’el), Holland

Founder: St. Arnold Jansen

Date of Arrival in Cebu: July 19, 1971

Apostolate

We fulfill our vocation in a life which, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, is completely oriented to contemplation through faith-filled immersion in love of the triune God and in the mystery of salvation. (C. 105) Our contemplative life draws its strength from the sacrament of the Eucharist. To the love which is bestowed on all in this mystery, and not requited by everyone, we respond with the service of perpetual adoration. (C 106). During our nocturnal adoration hour, we intercede for priests, living and deceased. In the Divine Office, we intercede fro priests, especially for those who are active in pastoral and missionary work. (C 405).

Cebu Foundation

Ten Sisters from our convents in Steyl and Philadelphia arrived here in the Philippines on November 25, 1923 at the invitation of the late Bishop Alfredo Versoza and had their first convent in Lipa, Batangas. Later, they transferred to Baguio and after some years, opened another convent on Quezon City. From this convent in Quezon City, a number of Sisters were sent to Cebu to respond to the invitation of the then Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales. They arrived in Cebu on July 19, 1971 and our convent in Mandaue was inaugurated on July 25, 1973.

Even during construction period, there were already young ladies who expressed their desire to join our Congregation and dedicate their lives in the service of perpetual adoration. Since then, many candidates from Visayas and Mindanao entered our community. At present we have quiet a number of Cebuanas in our Congregation mostly based here in the Philippines but some are assigned in the foreign missions. These fervent “daughters” of the Archdiocese of Cebu are among our staunch missionaries abroad: one of the members of our General Council is from Medillin. She is now based in Germany; the pioneer and present Superior in our convent in Togo, Africa is from Capitol Site; she was also one of the pioneers of our Indian foundation; her Assistant Superior is from Talisay; the Assistant Superior of our convent in Nebraska is from Cebu City; the only Filipina in our convent in Poland is from Moalboal. One of our Filipina Sisters in Missouri is from Guadalupe and another Cebuana in Togo, Africa is from Carcar.

The oldest Filipina Sister in our Congregation was from Danao.  She was one-hundred years and three months old when she passed away last March, 2008 her in Mandaue City.