Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate
Encyclopedia
The Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate (S.S.M.I.) are a congregation of Religious Sisters in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. They were founded in 1892 in Lviv
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and now in Ukraine
, the first such organization of religious women in the Eastern Catholic Church, and were founded by Blessed
Josaphata Hordashevska
and the Servant of God
, Father Jeremiah Lymnytsky, O.S.B.M..
when several bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
, possibly bowing to pressure from their ruler, the King of Poland, agreed to enter into full communion
with the Holy See
in Rome
. The adherents of this union were a minority within the general Ukrainian population, with strong hostility coming from the adherents of the Orthodox Church. This often led to persecution.
The entire Ukrainian people suffered greatly over the following centuries, as their national boundaries shifted from one era to another. During that time, Ukrainian Catholics retained the traditions of Orthodox Church institutions, of which one was an enclosed religious order as the sole approved option for women who wanted to live a religious lifestyle. They were, however, also in touch with the ecclesiastical developments of Western Europe.
Father Jeremiah Lymnytsky, a Basilian monk, was among the first members of his religious Order
trained under Polish Jesuit Fathers
, which had been ordered by Pope Leo XIII
due to their decline over the centuries of persecution. From his experiences with the Polish Roman Catholics, Lymnytsky conceived the idea of establishing communities of active Religious Sisters to assist the Basilian Fathers with answering the great social needs of the people, as had emerged throughout Western Europe
during that era.
Lymnytsky was invited in 1891 by Father Cyril Seletsky, a widowed priest, to give a parish mission at the parish of Zhuzel (now called Zhulzheliany) where he was leaving as pastor
. The mission was very well received, and he was approached by several young girls who wanted to give their lives to God. When he indicated that the usual dowry
would be needed for admission to a monastery, one girl indicated that she was too poor for that. She was Michaelina Hordashevska, later to be known as Mother Josephata. Lymnytsky was troubled by this and pondered whether she be be instrumental in realizing his goal of establishing active religious communities of women in their Church. Michaelina accepted him as her spiritual director, and under his guidance, she made a private vow
of chastity
. He then invited her to become the first member of this new way of life he was proposing, which he and Seletsky would direct, advising her that there would be much work and suffering ahead. Michaelina accepted his invitation.
, a fairly new congregation which had been founded with a similar goal by a Polish noblewoman. She spent two months with the Sisters, experiencing the dynamics of an active religious congregation. She returned to her native city of Lviv
on 22 August, and fashioned the religious habit
which was to distinguish the new Congregation. Two days later, she was formally given this habit and the religious name Josephata, in honor of the revered Ukrainian Catholic martyr
, Saint Josaphat
.
Hordashevka then went to the nearby village of Zhuzel (site of the parish mission where her call had taken its first formal step), where seven other young women who had been recruited for this new community were waiting to establish a community. They then began their preparation to start their lives of service. Sister Josaphata was appointed Superior
of the community. She taught and encouraged the other members of the community, telling them: "Serve your people where the need is greatest".
Within ten years, the 8 Sisters had grown to 128, living in 26 convents throughout the region of the Ukraine. They were able to hold their first General Chapter in 1902, in the course of which Sister Josephata Hordashevka was elected the first Superior General
of the Congregation, with Father Jeremiah Lymnytsky resigning his position as Director of the institute. Unfortunately, severe divisions arose within the Congregation, driving Hordashevka to submit her resignation soon afterwards to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lviv, the Servant of God Andrey Sheptytsky, O.S.B.M., who accepted it and appointed a new Superior General.
After this, Sister Josephata was assigned to some of the hardest missions of the Congregation and was denied permission to make permanent vows, until the next General Chapter went ahead and voted her as Vicaress General
of the Congregation, despite her ineligibility for the office due to her canonical
status. The delegates of the Chapter petitioned the Metropolitan to allow her to make her final vows, a petition which was granted and she assumed the post. Three years later, though, Mother Josephata was diagnosed with tuberculosis
of the bone. She died from this disease in 1919, at the age of 49.
, Yugoslavia
, Brazil
, the United States
, Poland
, Slovakia
, Italy
, Great Britain
, France
, Argentina
, Germany
, Australia
and Kazakhstan
.
After World War II
, however, the Ukraine was absorbed into the Soviet Union
. The Communist government which took control of the region soon suppressed the Sisters and seized their properties, as well as that of all other religious institutions. The Sisters were forced to live hidden lives of dedication. The Superior General at that time, Mother Veronica Gargil, was able to flee the Soviet Union with another member of the General Council, first to Czechoslovakia
, then, in 1945, to Rome
. Shortly after that, the Canadian Province
of the Congregation was able to purchase property, which was established as the international motherhouse
of the Congregation. Mother Josephata's remains were exhumed in 1982 and transferred to the Generalate in Rome.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Sisters who had lived their consecrated lives in secret were able to re-emerge as a public association. Members of the Congregation from throughout the world joined together to give support and help to their Sisters in Ukraine.
was begun in March 1992. This coincided with the celebration of the Congregation's centennial
, which Sisters Servants from throughout the world were able to attend in Ukraine. Sisters from thirteen countries participated in a Divine Liturgy
of Thanksgiving and a special Jubilee
program.
On 6 April 1998, Pope John Paul II
issued the Decree
acknowledging her heroic virtues, and the occurrence of a miracle
effected through intercession
to her. She was beatified
on 27 June 2001, during a visit by that Pope to her native city of Lviv, along with another member of the Congregation who had been murdered by a Soviet soldier and over twenty other martyrs of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and now in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, the first such organization of religious women in the Eastern Catholic Church, and were founded by Blessed
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Josaphata Hordashevska
Josaphata Hordashevska
Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska, S.S.M.I., born Michaelina Hordashevska, a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Religious Sister, was the first member of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate....
and the Servant of God
Servant of God
Servant of God is a title given to individuals by various religions, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a...
, Father Jeremiah Lymnytsky, O.S.B.M..
Roots
The Ukrainian Catholic Church was formed in 1595 through the Union of BrestUnion of Brest
Union of Brest or Union of Brześć refers to the 1595-1596 decision of the Church of Rus', the "Metropolia of Kiev-Halych and all Rus'", to break relations with the Patriarch of Constantinople and place themselves under the Pope of Rome. At the time, this church included most Ukrainians and...
when several bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
Ukrainian Orthodox Church may refer to:*Ukrainian Orthodox Church , established in 1990*Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, established in 1992*Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, established in 1921...
, possibly bowing to pressure from their ruler, the King of Poland, agreed to enter into full communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
with the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The adherents of this union were a minority within the general Ukrainian population, with strong hostility coming from the adherents of the Orthodox Church. This often led to persecution.
The entire Ukrainian people suffered greatly over the following centuries, as their national boundaries shifted from one era to another. During that time, Ukrainian Catholics retained the traditions of Orthodox Church institutions, of which one was an enclosed religious order as the sole approved option for women who wanted to live a religious lifestyle. They were, however, also in touch with the ecclesiastical developments of Western Europe.
Father Jeremiah Lymnytsky, a Basilian monk, was among the first members of his religious Order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
trained under Polish Jesuit Fathers
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, which had been ordered by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
due to their decline over the centuries of persecution. From his experiences with the Polish Roman Catholics, Lymnytsky conceived the idea of establishing communities of active Religious Sisters to assist the Basilian Fathers with answering the great social needs of the people, as had emerged throughout Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
during that era.
Lymnytsky was invited in 1891 by Father Cyril Seletsky, a widowed priest, to give a parish mission at the parish of Zhuzel (now called Zhulzheliany) where he was leaving as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
. The mission was very well received, and he was approached by several young girls who wanted to give their lives to God. When he indicated that the usual dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
would be needed for admission to a monastery, one girl indicated that she was too poor for that. She was Michaelina Hordashevska, later to be known as Mother Josephata. Lymnytsky was troubled by this and pondered whether she be be instrumental in realizing his goal of establishing active religious communities of women in their Church. Michaelina accepted him as her spiritual director, and under his guidance, she made a private vow
Vow
A vow is a promise or oath.-Marriage vows:Marriage vows are binding promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a wedding ceremony. Marriage customs have developed over history and keep changing as human society develops...
of chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
. He then invited her to become the first member of this new way of life he was proposing, which he and Seletsky would direct, advising her that there would be much work and suffering ahead. Michaelina accepted his invitation.
Foundation of the Congregation
In June 1892, Michaelina Hordashevska went to stay with the Polish Roman Catholic Felician SistersFelician Sisters
The Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, or Felician Sisters, are one branch of the Third Order of St. Francis. The active-contemplative order was founded in Warsaw, Poland, in 1855, by Sophia Truszkowska, and named for a shrine of St. Felix, a 16th century Franciscan saint especially devoted to...
, a fairly new congregation which had been founded with a similar goal by a Polish noblewoman. She spent two months with the Sisters, experiencing the dynamics of an active religious congregation. She returned to her native city of Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
on 22 August, and fashioned the religious habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
which was to distinguish the new Congregation. Two days later, she was formally given this habit and the religious name Josephata, in honor of the revered Ukrainian Catholic martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
, Saint Josaphat
Saint Josaphat
Barlaam and Josaphat or Joasaph is a Christianized version of the story of Siddharta Gautama, who became the Buddha.. In the Middle Ages the two were treated as Christian saints, being entered in the Greek Orthodox calendar on 26 August, and in the Roman Martyrology in the Western Church as...
.
Hordashevka then went to the nearby village of Zhuzel (site of the parish mission where her call had taken its first formal step), where seven other young women who had been recruited for this new community were waiting to establish a community. They then began their preparation to start their lives of service. Sister Josaphata was appointed Superior
Superior (hierarchy)
In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position at a higher level in the hierarchy than another , and thus closer to the apex. It is often used in business terminology to refer to people who are supervisors and in the military to people who are higher in the...
of the community. She taught and encouraged the other members of the community, telling them: "Serve your people where the need is greatest".
Within ten years, the 8 Sisters had grown to 128, living in 26 convents throughout the region of the Ukraine. They were able to hold their first General Chapter in 1902, in the course of which Sister Josephata Hordashevka was elected the first Superior General
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
of the Congregation, with Father Jeremiah Lymnytsky resigning his position as Director of the institute. Unfortunately, severe divisions arose within the Congregation, driving Hordashevka to submit her resignation soon afterwards to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lviv, the Servant of God Andrey Sheptytsky, O.S.B.M., who accepted it and appointed a new Superior General.
After this, Sister Josephata was assigned to some of the hardest missions of the Congregation and was denied permission to make permanent vows, until the next General Chapter went ahead and voted her as Vicaress General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Congregation, despite her ineligibility for the office due to her canonical
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
status. The delegates of the Chapter petitioned the Metropolitan to allow her to make her final vows, a petition which was granted and she assumed the post. Three years later, though, Mother Josephata was diagnosed with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
of the bone. She died from this disease in 1919, at the age of 49.
Growth and persecution
The Sisters Servants had been founded to minister to the spiritual, moral, intellectual and social needs of the Ukrainian people. As many of them emigrated to other countries over the years, in search of a better life, the Sisters branched out from western Ukraine to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, however, the Ukraine was absorbed into the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The Communist government which took control of the region soon suppressed the Sisters and seized their properties, as well as that of all other religious institutions. The Sisters were forced to live hidden lives of dedication. The Superior General at that time, Mother Veronica Gargil, was able to flee the Soviet Union with another member of the General Council, first to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, then, in 1945, to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Shortly after that, the Canadian Province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Congregation was able to purchase property, which was established as the international motherhouse
Motherhouse
The term motherhouse is used by religious Orders and religious congregations to designate the principal house or community for that group. It can be either for the entire institute or for a region....
of the Congregation. Mother Josephata's remains were exhumed in 1982 and transferred to the Generalate in Rome.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Sisters who had lived their consecrated lives in secret were able to re-emerge as a public association. Members of the Congregation from throughout the world joined together to give support and help to their Sisters in Ukraine.
Veneration
That following year saw two events of great joy to the Congregation. First, the process seeking Mother Josephata's canonizationCanonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
was begun in March 1992. This coincided with the celebration of the Congregation's centennial
Centennials (disambiguation)
Centennials are the 100th anniversaries of events.Centennials may also refer to:* Ayr Centennials, a junior ice hockey team* Calgary Centennials, a junior ice hockey team* Merritt Centennials, a junior ice hockey team...
, which Sisters Servants from throughout the world were able to attend in Ukraine. Sisters from thirteen countries participated in a Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
of Thanksgiving and a special Jubilee
Jubilee
-Anniversaries and celebrations:*Jubilee , Royal Jubilee years are depicted in Egyptian history*Jubilee , the Jubilee year specified in the Torah*Jubilee , a special year for the remission of sins and universal pardon...
program.
On 6 April 1998, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
issued the Decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
acknowledging her heroic virtues, and the occurrence of a miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
effected through intercession
Intercession
Intercession is the act of interceding between two parties. In both Christian and Islamic religious usage, it is a prayer to God on behalf of others....
to her. She was beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
on 27 June 2001, during a visit by that Pope to her native city of Lviv, along with another member of the Congregation who had been murdered by a Soviet soldier and over twenty other martyrs of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
External Sources
- Website of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate http://www.ssmi.org/index.html
- Saints SPQN http://saints.sqpn.com/blessed-josaphata-mykhailyna-hordashevska/
- The Vatican website http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20010627_hordashevska_en.html