By our
religious consecration as Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate and as
beneficiaries of the charism of Mother Margaret, we believe we are called by God,
impelled by the Spirit and sent in the name of the church to minister to persons
who are marginalized, oppressed and economically poor.
We
find this inspiration and patient endurance to our ministry in Jesus' own mission
of making God present as love and compassion and we proclaim in union with Jesus.
"The spirit
of the God has been given to me, for God has anointed me, and has sent me: :
to bring the
good news to the poor,
to
proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight,
to
set the downtrodden free,
to
proclaim God's year of favor." --Luke 4: 18-19
Sisters
Loretta Armand and Kathleen O'Connell blessing a young woman in Oaxaca
During the 1980's, the sisters collaborated
on various initiatives in the area of social justice. (apostolic efforts of the
sisters were focused on social justice issues). Much effort was expended in housing
Central American refugees at the motherhouse and in providing various services
for them. The congregation was a founding member of Texas Coalition for Responsible
Investments and of Camino a la Paz, a collaborative effort of religious congregations
in the San Antonio area to promote peace and justice. In 1987, the Holy Spirit
Sisters were given the first Camino Peace and Justice Award for their efforts
in promoting social justice.
In 1983,
the sisters donated 3.5 acres of land adjacent to the motherhouse for low-income
housing. A city block, located in Beaumont and owned by the sisters, was donated
to Habitat for Humanity in 1989. Both of these properties are now fully developed
by Habitat for Humanity and contain 36 new affordable housing units.
In
1984, in response to an earlier call of the Church for missionaries, the sisters
returned to ministry in Oaxaca where they provide pastoral and other services
for the indigenous population. After some research and exploration, a formal chapter
decision was made in 1987 to establish missions in other parts of Mexico and in
Zambia. In Mexico, after exploring some options, the sisters focused on the Diocese
of Tepic where they began ministry in 1990. By 1994 they had built their own house
in Sta. Maria del Oro. Their ministry has now extended into Ixtlan.
Coincidentally,
in September 1988, the first three sisters were en route to Zambia as the congregation
celebrated the 100th anniversary of the original congregational foundation, St.
Peter Claver School. This ministry in the Western Province, the poorest area of
Zambia, has also expanded in the intervening years. The sisters are engaged in
parish, diocesan and education ministry and in 1996 they opened their own formation
house in the Western capital, Mongu.
