Holy Spirit Sisters live and serve in Carroll area

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
August 26, 2004

CARROLL/WILLEY/FORT DODGE - The African and Indian sisters that have been living in the Carroll area for four years are shifting living and working locations.

Five of the sisters are from Tanzania, Africa and three sisters are from South India. They are all Holy Spirit Sisters that belong to the Opus Spiritus Sancti.

They initially lived at Holy Spirit Convent in Carroll. Seven of the eight sisters are certified nursing assistants and have been working at St. Anthony's Nursing Home in Carroll. The other is a part-time teacher for Kuemper Catholic Schools in Carroll.

"They have adjusted very well," said Father Jim McCormick, pastor at Holy Spirit Church in Carroll. "They have been adjusting well to our culture and feeling more and more comfortable to be here. They have been received very lovingly and enthusiastically by the people of the Carroll area."

The general description of the mission of their order is renewal of the church. The Holy Spirit Sisters are a worldwide missionary group of sisters.

"They have opened up the Catholics to a world view," said Father McCormick. "This is the first time that many people in Carroll have had an opportunity to get to know and interact with people from different countries. It has really been a vision of the universal church."

Four additional African sisters arrived in the Carroll area in June. Five of the African sisters who were living in the convent have now moved to the St. Mary Convent in Willey. Four of those five will be working full-time at the nursing home and one will be part-time. The one will also continue to work part-time in the Kuemper Catholic Schools.

"The Willey rectory was sitting empty after Father Collison left," said Father McCormick. "We were thinking of renting it to others, but we saw that sisters could live there and work at the St. Anthony Nursing Home and Hospital. The people of Willey embraced the notion of sisters living in their rectory instead of risking with unknown renters. They are delighted with the presence of the sisters in their midst, living a stone-throw from their beautiful St. Mary Church."

On Aug. 1, a tree was planted at St. Mary's Parish in Willey after a Mass and the rectory was blessed as it became the St. Mary Convent. The tree signified the beginning of the new mission in that community. The two house superiors planted the oak tree and all the sisters then helped fill the hole with dirt. A reception with rolls, coffee and juice on the lawn followed.

Four of the sisters have moved to Webster City and work at the Marian Home in Fort Dodge. The house that the sisters are living in was left as a "life estate" by Mary Helen Severson.

"She thought perhaps retired priests would like to live in it," said Father McCormick. "After contacting a number of priests, the decision was made that it would be more suited to religious sisters. The house is on the outskirts of Webster City and the Marian Home expressed interest in employing Holy Spirit Sisters as certified nurse assistants. They will live in the house and commute to work."

In early September, the residents of Webster City will hold a celebration and erect a statue as they welcome their new African neighbors into their community.

That leaves three Indian sisters still living in the Holy Spirit Convent that continue to work at St. Anthony's full-time. There is hope that there will be four additional Indian sisters arriving in September if they are able to obtain visas. The additional sisters would work at St. Anthony's Hospital and Nursing Home.

"The presence of the sisters gives the people of Willey and Webster City/Fort Dodge the opportunity for an international experience as well as contact with religious," said Father McCormick. "The presence of the sisters from abroad has had a positive effect in Carroll as they experience that 'Catholic' means 'universal.' We hope for that same good experience to continue in these other locations."

The sisters are not only helping the people at St. Anthony's and in the Carroll community, but they are providing financial support to their religious communities in Africa and India. Money earned by the sisters has built improved housing for other sisters in their community, aided in the construction of a primary school in Kenya and paid part of the expense of a church being built at the novitiate in Tanzania.

"It's all about helping," said Father McCormick. "These sisters are not here to be objects of charity. They are here to make a real contribution to the community."

This first group of sisters is planning to stay in the area for about 10 years. Other members of their community will replace these sisters as they rotate back to their home countries. The skills they have learned in the United States will enable them to serve the sick and aged in their religious community and in their native countries.