Opening Address of Sr. Miriam Altenhofen

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January 2022

Sister Miriam Altenhofen prepared a message for all the sisters and members of the Arnoldus Family after her election as Congregational Leader.

Here we publish the written text and the video, to be shared with all who participate in some way in the life and mission of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit.

Dear sisters, dear brothers in the SVD, dear adoration sisters, dear lay partners and companions on the journey!

Here I am! Today our 15^th General Chapter elected me as Congregational Leader of the SSpS for the coming 6 years. The experience is still very fresh and this is the first time I am addressing you.

First of all, thank you so much for your prayers and accompaniment. I know that all around the world our sisters, brothers and lay partners were praying for a good election. Thank you so much for all your good wishes and blessings which are coming in through my phone and email.

Let´s trust that the Holy Spirit was working in the discernment process and that it is She who at the end will lead and direct the congregation. It was not easy for me to accept this challenging task in a very challenging time. But I feel your loving and spiritual support. That gives me strength to courageously embrace this new role and grow into it.

At the end, it is God´s mission and we are poor and hopefully humble collaborators in this great creation and evolution of a love that wants to transform the world.

Our congregation is worldwide and very diverse in the different parts of the globe. But wherever we are, we try to serve especially those at the margins whose voices are not heard. Maybe God wants to enter and speak to us from these margins.

Thank you so much for your dedicated service and commitment to an authentic living out of our religious vocation as SSpS. It is the fire in your heart, your passion for God and his/her people that moves us ahead and that is the essence of our congregation.

Please consider me as Miriam, your sister who is with you on the way, searching with you for the ways we need to take or to find on our journey towards the growing of God´s healing presence in our realities.

The next step in our Chapter process is to find the persons who are called to be on the team. A Congregational Leader without a team is nothing and also cannot do much. Therefore, please continue to support us with your prayers and let´s keep united in the Holy Spirit!

Yours gratefully,

Sr. Miriam SSpS

 

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