The Story of Our Co-foundress, Mother Mary Michael
Born in Westphalia, Germany, Mother Mary Michael pursued the teaching profession before joining Father Janssen’s newly formed missionary congregation for women. Invested with the blue habit and white veil of the Mission Sisters, Sister Michael made temporary vows with them and was later appointed for the African Missions.
The appointment was cancelled and she became one of the founding group to receive the rose-colored habit and white scapular and veil of the cloistered branch on December 8th, 1896. A year later Mother Mary Michael was chosen acting superior of the cloistered community. Later she was elected superior general, an office she exercised until her death.
Through Mother Mary Michael’s efforts, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters received its own Rule and became an independent foundation. She supervised the erection of the Motherhouse, was instrumental in having perpetual exposition introduced into the congregation, and she herself chose the Roman Breviary for the Sisters’ choir prayer. In addition she introduced the special nocturnal intercessory prayer for priests and gave the Congregation an international character by opening chapels of perpetual adoration in the United States, Germany, the Philippines, and China.
