Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood are called to live the Paschal Mystery, that urges them to respond to the “I thirst” of Christ, still heard today, and to stand in constant readiness to participate in His work of redemption.
In order to be able to honour this mandate, one of our CPS non-negotiable is community living. To facilitate communities that are fully alive, sisters are moved from time to time from community to community.
At present, we are living in the following communities:
Emaus Convent
Emaus, the place of exile for Abbot Francis, the founder of our congregation, has always been a historically and spiritually significant place for the CPS.
This small mission station belongs to the Diocese of Umzimkhulu and is nestled in the hills, some 17 km from Umzimkhulu (Sisonke District).
The international community of five sisters extend their services through
- offering pastoral care to the local people
- running a programme for orphaned and vulnerable children
- facilitating an HIV/Aids and Youth Programme
- availing to people interested in the offer of the Emaus Heritage Centre
Please, read more about the Centre through: www.emausheritagecentre.org.za
Sacred Heart Home (Ixopo)
The Sacred Heart Home in Ixopo (Ubuhlebezwe Municipality) has a long history. Already in 1923 it opened its doors to the sisters who had come to offer their missionary service to the largely coloured community of the area.
Although a community with many elderly sisters, our CPS there are active and involved in many forms of service:
- Educational ministry at Little Flower School
- Pastoral Care at the Christ the King Hospital
- Prayer Ministry
Sacred Heart Home is also the home of our Province’s noviciate and thus serves as a formation house for young women aspiring to join our Congregation (see Formation).
Another noteworthy feature is the “Educational Outreach Program” that has been run for over 12 years now on a Saturday morning. Here children and adolescents gather, who come from disadvantaged families of the area and who did not have the benefit of education because of financial constraints. Volunteers work with them and try to grow them holistically so that they can become
Contact: 039 834 1106
Email: shhixopo@futurenet.co.za
St. Michael’s Convent
The mission station St Michael’s off Umzinto (located in the Sisonke District – Ubuhlebezwe Municipality) was opened in 1855 through Fr Joseph Gerard OMI but closed as early missionary work did not reap any fruits. It was reopened in 1858 and in 1890 handed to the Trappist monks who invited the CPS to join them in that venture which they continue today with the Mariannhill Fathers.
The four sisters at the Convent continue to be a valuable presence to the community, reaching out to the local people through
- Pastoral care
- Educational ministry
Contact: 039 835 9416 or 082 749 6770
Richmond Convent
The first foundation of a CPS Convent in Richmond was closed down in December 1967. The sisters however continued to serve the local community in and around Einsiedeln Mission.
However, that ministry had to be stopped for various reasons in 2009. Subsequently, a new Convent was built and opened in Richmond (Umgungundlovu District).
Our four sisters living in Richmond have in the short time become an integral part of the parish and offer their services of care through
- outreach to the poor and marginalised in the area
- pastoral care in the community
- engagement in educational initiatives such as a pre-school.
Contact: 033 212 3866
St Mary’s Hospital (Mariannhill)
St Mary’s Hospital is and remains a most important institution of our Mariannhill Province. Already as early as in 1882, the sisters who were working in and through the hospital formed their own community.
Today nine CPS live in the ‘cottage’ and gather daily as a community in order to support each other in their various ministries:
- nursing care to all patients coming to the hospital for help
- pastoral care to those patients requesting spiritual assistance while hospitalised
- administrative management of the hospital
- educational ministry through the nursing college and other training opportunities
Contact: 031 717 1000 or 031 717 1051 (Superior)
The Convent (Mariannhill)
At present the largest community of CPS in our Province lives at The Convent (Mariannhill), the birth place of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, founded in 1885. It remains the home-base for all sisters and renders a number of services, either to different institutions and/or through the house.
Thus the nearly fifty sisters continue to be involved in
- ministering to learners at surrounding schools and at the Girl’s Hostel
- serving the poor and marginalised women and children at Jabulani
- pastoral care to the German Community & the parish in Pinetown
- offering help through various forms of healing ministry
- serving the Church through the Liturgical Vestment Department
- handing on creative skills at the Adult Education Centre
- responding to the needs of people through prayer apostolate
Contact: 031 700 2411