HISTORY
Our Pioneers
The nucleus of the Congregation consisted of three young
ladies who had the courage and generosity to answer God's
call to service.
On June 8, 1843, Pastor Bernardinus Joannes van Miert,
then parish priest of Veghel, Netherlands, brought the
three Postulants to the Novitiate of the Congregation
of the Penitents-Recollectines in Roosendaal under the
care of Mother Marie Joseph Raaymakers, the Superior of
the Congregation. On July 23, 1843 they received the habit
as novices. Miss Jacoba Petronella van Miert received
the name Sister Maria Teresia of St. Joseph, Miss Maria
van Hoof took the name Sister Maria Bernardina of the
Holy Name of Jesus, and Miss Maria de Roij chose the name
Sister Maria Francisca of the Holy Family.
During their novitiate year at Roosendaal, Sister Augustine
was their Novice Mistress, but Mother Joseph had a deep
influence on the formation of the Novices from Veghel.
This formation would imprint an indelible mark on their
future life.
On June 23, 1844 the three Novices, accompanied by Mother
Joseph, left Roosendaal and were welcomed by the the whole
town in Veghel. The following day Mother Joseph appointed
Sister Teresia van Miert as temporary Superior. Thus began
the pioneer community of the Franciscan Sisters of Veghel.
It was on September 19, 1844 that the three Sisters made
their solemn profession. Msgr. Joannes Zwijsen presided
over the ceremony. He established, upheld and confirmed
the new Congregation himself. After an election was held
in accordance with the Constitutions, Sister Teresia van
Miert was appointed by Msgr. Zwijsen as general superior
of the newly, solemnly founded religious community for
a period of six years. She would fulfil this function
till September 11, 1891.
Growth and Expansion
In the years after the foundation, the Congregation grew
and prospered. After the death of Pastor van Miert on
June 2, 1870, Mother Teresia was directly at the helm
of the Congregation. She took charge of its administration
and the spiritual needs of the Sisters. As they increased
in number, they likewise spread their presence and services
to other towns and cities of the Netherlands. They became
actively involved in parishes and gave particular interest
to education as it was the need of the time. Schools were
established for orphans and the handicapped, for religious
education and practical training of the youth. Their communities
helped in seeking employment for the tramps and beggars.
They extended their nursing care to the sick and to the
elderly. As they went about in their various ministries,
the Sisters' way of life was marked by obedience and humility,
simplicity and joy, love and self-giving, grounded on
deep faith and trust in God. They believed that the strength
of the Congregation rested upon solid virtue.
Thus it was with the same faith and trust in God that
the Franciscan Sisters of Veghel responded to the call
to foreign mission. On October 13, 1906, the first group
of missionaries left their homeland and sailed to West
Borneo with a group of Capuchin Fathers. Responding to
the invitation of Msgr. Constant Jurgens, a Dutch missionary
in the Philippines, five Sisters gladly accepted their
mission and left for the Philippines on February 5, 1929.
Both missions eventually grew into independent provinces.
A General Board was chosen on November 30, 1985 to oversee
the general administration of the whole Congregation.
Although a mission began in Tanzania, East Africa in 1962,
their stay ended in 1975. The Kenya Mission was established
on January 22, 1994 as a collaborative effort of the three
provinces of Netherlands, Indonesia and the Philippines
in a shared response to global concerns. On April 17,
2000, an International Community composed of three Sisters
- a Dutch, an Indonesian and a Filipina, was established
in s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Given the international
character of our Congregation, this community is a new
form of SFIC presence in the Netherlands, as they strive
to be witnesses of God's compassionate love to the poor
of our times.
Our Franciscan Tradition
Sister Teresia and her co-sisters were formed by the
Penitents-Recollectines of Roosendaal, a Congregation
of Franciscan Tradition. Even after they left for Veghel
and started a new Institute, they lived according to the
Rule of Roosendaal and preferred nothing else but to continue
this tradition. Later on Msgr. Zwijsen, the Bishop of
the Diocese, required them to adopt the Rule of the Sisters
of Charity. However, Sister Teresia and her co-sisters
struggled to be allowed to continue wearing their habit
and the Franciscan cord, and to pray the Franciscan breviary.
They also placed their new foundation under the special
protection of St. Francis of Assisi with the Immaculate
Conception of Mary as their patroness.
Steeped in the Franciscan tradition of the Penitents-Recollectines
of Roosendaal, Sister Teresia and her co-sisters kept
the Franciscan spirit alive. After a long and painful
process, the Bishop finally recognized the validity of
the Congregation's independence and worked for its approbation.
On April 24, 1870, the Constitutions and Rules were approved
and signed by Pope Pius IX.
Though they were listed among the Congregations of Franciscans
in the Netherlands, it was only on September 11, 1910
that the Holy See recognized the Franciscan character
of the Congregation and empowered the General Superior
of the Capuchin Fathers to accomplish the aggregation
to their Order. The actual incorporation was done on October
4, 1910.
The Franciscan tradition wherein Sister Teresia and her
co-sisters stood was mostly inspired by the Penitents-Recollectines
of Roosendaal. Mother Joseph traced their origin to Johanna
of Jesus (1576-1648), the founder of the Congregation,
who was known as a reformer of the conventual life. In
her writings, Johanna of Jesus described the foundations
which characterized her spirituality, namely:
- purity of heart to make room for what is essential:
simplicity;
- humility to think less about oneself;
- mutual or reciprocal love to promote the cheerfulness
of the spirit;
- and bodily mortification to protect oneself from
over-indulgence.
Following the "perfect path of truth"
for Johanna of Jesus means to make room for God's love
to dwell within you so that you are able to pass it on
to others. Mother Joseph pursued this same path, a way
of life lived in simplicity and detachment based on the
love of God. She stressed that His love brings their love
to life so that they can encounter the other in mutual
love. This, for her, is the call of the penitents. (cf
Judith de Raat, Een verborgen schat, p.20-22)
Sister Teresia van Miert, after the example of Mother
Joseph, strived to live in this spirit of simplicity and
submission, love and penance. Her compassion was based
on the love of God. By nature we are poor in love, she
said, but God loves us, the only thing that we can do
then is try to love one another and our fellow beings.
