On May 1, a group of Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the American Province with Mother Jadwiga Cierpinska, superior provincial of the Provincialate in Cherry Hill, came from convents in South and Central Jersey to commemorate the 160th anniversary of their community with a day of recollection at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pa.
Pauline Father Jan Michalak presided at the Mass of thanksgiving and for the canonization of the founder, Blessed Edmund Bojanowski, in the shrine. Father Michalak also presented conferences and led the Rosary Walk to the original barn chapel where the Litany of Loreto was sung.
Last month, on April 25, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland, Little Servant Sisters of the federation came together on pilgrimage to celebrate the 160th anniversary with the rosary and the Mass in thanksgiving with Archbishop Jozef Michalik, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, as presider and homilist.
The congregation was founded on May 3, 1850, by Blessed Edmund Bojanowski in Poland. The mission of the new religious family was to provide care and early education for needy children, help the sick and the poor, and guide women.
The Congregation developed amid hardships during and after the occupation of Poland by foreign invaders, and spread throughout the world. Since its founding, the chief characteristic of its spirituality is daily living the evangelical law of total love of God and love of others, revealed in Christ-like service in response to the needs of the church and the world.
Today, there are more than 3,000 Little Servant Sisters in the worldwide federation, including the missions. Blessed Edmund’s witness, writings and spiritual testament of simplicity and mutual love, continue to be an inspiration and blessing to his followers.
The Little Servant Sisters in Europe, America, Africa, Russian Siberia and the Philippines are engaged in early childhood education and schools, religious education, care of orphans and the disabled, parish ministry, youth and prayer ministry, assisted living and nursing homes, visiting home nursing, hospitals and clinics, works among the disadvantaged, street children and AIDS patients.