Diocese welcomes aid of Holy Spirit Community

By Kenny Keane, Globe staff reporter
Posted January 9, 2003

It was a tradition of sisters working there previously that led to Father James McCormick's initiative to bring sisters of the Holy Spirit Community, along with a couple priests, into the Carroll area.

"We have a large convent that held, I think, 18 Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration," said Father McCormick, pastor of Holy Spirit Church in Carroll. "So therefore, when the last sister left, we had a convent that was empty. At the same time, we have a very dynamic hospital and nursing home here in Carroll also belonging to the FSPA sisters.

"I had learned that they were in particular need of these certified nursing assistants because that's a hard task, and it's hard to find enough people to do that work. Also, because I had been the rector of this whole community, Opus Spiritus Sancti (Holy Spirit community), for years, I knew the sisters personally in Africa and India."

So he wrote to their superiors asking if they would be interested in coming. The reply came from both Africa and India, so they sent five African sisters, and the Indian community sent three Indian sisters.

Sister Epiphania Shirima, OSS, one of the sisters from Africa, works as a religion teacher, CCD teacher and a tutor at Kuemper Catholic Grade School's St. Lawrence Center and also works part-time at St. Anthony Nursing Home.

"I enjoy teaching religion to the children," she said. "For myself, because I'm working at the school and at the same time working at the nursing home, I'm happy to see the difference between the young ones and the elderly.

"My ministry helps me to see the good preparation for those children. For those who have their faith from their childhood, it helps them when they grow older because if they are faced with changes it will help them to depend on God. It will keep each one praying for the others."

Sister Epiphania said she and her fellow sisters, like Sister Anila Edakkamcheril, an Indian sister who also works at the nursing home, enjoy their work and are happy to be of help.

The two priests who serve as parochial vicars at Holy Spirit Parish are Father Siby Punnoose and Father Sunny Dominic. Father Punnoose said this is the first time he has come to an unknown country to work, and the experience has been wonderful.

"People are very good to us in welcoming us and inviting us to their homes. They are so hospitable," he said. "I feel very much at home in this parish and in the diocese. The priests are very good. Even though we are away from our people, my parents, brothers and sisters, we don't feel that because we are very much at home here."

However, the work of the Holy Spirit community did not stop in Carroll as Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City also has the services of sisters who work as nurses.

Sister Mary Elsa Puthuppallymattam and Sister Mary Maliackal both work at the retirement home, and they both commented on how much they like working with the residents.

Sister Elsa said the motto of the Holy Spirit Sisters is "God may be all in all," and their spirituality is Easter Pentecost. She said that they live in the Risen Lord and the Holy Spirit, and with their ministry they are trying to live up to the Easter Pentecost Spirituality.

"I like to serve elderly people. I enjoy their company, appreciation and love," she said. "They make me feel at home. The people are very good and loving. I love them, and I think they love me."

Being a kindergarten teacher in India, Sister Mary has a love for teaching, but she also likes mission work.

"Like Jesus and his disciples' work, we have to give love to others," she said. "Our community is a missionary and apostolic life community. We go all over the world to where they need our work."

Having these sisters in the little corner of the world known as the Sioux City Diocese is where Father McCormick hopes to have them stay. He said he hopes the communities will continue to replace those who might be called back for other ministries. As for the effect their work has had, particularly on those in the Carroll area, Father McCormick said it has just been a tremendous joy.

"There was some questioning whether or not sisters from other lands would be accepted, but there's been absolutely no problem," he said. "In fact, I'm very thrilled to hear the raving on the part of the residents, relatives and others who have been ministered to by the sisters. People feel enriched to sit down with someone from another country, nation and continent and hear about their customs at home, their home life and life outside of Carroll, Iowa."