Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God
The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God (abbreviated SMIC) are an
The founders
The bishop
Armand Bahlmann was born in
In the course of his service in the country Bahlmann developed a desire to establish a community of teaching Sisters for the children of the region. For this, he enlisted a small community of
The teacher
Early life
Elizabeth Tombrock was born in
Miracle and vocation
Not abandoning hope, Tombrock made a
Back in her beloved classroom, Tombrock knew she wanted to dedicate her life to God. She struggled, however, whether to enter the cloistered Poor Clares or to volunteer as a missionary for overseas service. At that point, she and Bahlmann came into contact with one another. Later, Tombrock was in the process of writing a letter to the Poor Clares seeking admission to the cloister. She stopped and knelt in prayer for final guidance in this step. At that moment, there was a knock at the door and she received a telegram from Bishop Bahlmann, asking her if she were willing to become a missionary in Brazil and teach poor children there. Tombrock felt that this was her answer from God.
The missions
After an abbreviated period of training in the life of the Poor Clares, Tombrock was conditionally received into the
Foundation
Missionary Poor Clares
The pair arrived in Santarém on 5 December 1910, when Mother Immaculata joined four Conceptionist nuns who had agreed to join the bishop's new venture. Together they moved into an old mansion, which was to serve as their
Under the protection of Bahlmann, who dealt with most of the legal hurdles in establishing the community and the work, Mother Immaculata led and shaped a community composed of both native Brazilians and German women in Santarém, plus a house of formation in Germany. The financial struggles remained, though. Bishop Bahlmann and Mother Immaculata embarked on a fundraising trip to the United States in 1922. There she received a solution to their money worries, but not an easy one. The Franciscan friars of the
Mother Immaculata was reluctant to commit her community to this work, but eventually concluded that it was the best solution to their financial stability. She summoned a group of nuns and established a small
The abbess wanted to help and was carrying a basket of
During that trip, Mother Immaculata purchased an old farmhouse in Paterson, New Jersey, where she established the novitiate of the congregation. Early in 1924, the abbess became bedridden and in July of that year was transported to the convent at St. Bonaventure, where she spent the rest of her life.
Missionary Sisters
Mother Immaculata proceeded to govern the communities of the monastery from her sickbed. Groups of young German women continued to join Brazilians in seeking admission to the community. Soon
Deaths of the founders
Mother Immaculata died peacefully in her bed at St. Bonaventure on 23 April 1938, surrounded by her Sisters. After 32 years as Prelate of Santarém, Bahlmann died in that post on 5 March 1939.
Currently
In their response to the call of the pope, the congregation established missions in China, which, after the Chinese Communist Revolution, were forced to relocate to Taiwan, but recently some of the Sisters have returned to the mainland to work. They now also serve in Angola, Bolivia and Namibia.
The Missionary Sisters remained at St. Bonaventure until the 1960s. At that point, they moved the administration of the congregation to the novitiate in Paterson. In the United States, besides New Jersey, they serve in California, Maine, New Mexico, Texas and Washington, D.C.[3]
Notable members
A
At the time of her death, Pontes had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, she had received two personal audiences with Pope John Paul II, and she had, almost single-handedly, created one of the largest and most respected philanthropic organizations in Brazil, the Social Works Foundation of Sister Dulce. She was named the most admired woman in the history of Brazil by the "Estado de São Paulo" paper, and the most influential religious person in Brazil during the 20th century, by "Isto É" magazine.[4]
References
- ^ Catholic Hierarchy[self-published source]
- ^ "St. Bonaventure University "Mother Immaculata"". Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
- ^ Website of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception
- ^ O Brasileiro do Século