Here We Are, Send Us!

Ahh, there’s so much history! I’ve known some of the Eastern European Sisters for a long time, and I’ve witnessed how we have worked to get to know each other through the Federation, and we have come to know how much we really belong to each other. The deep friendships that we’ve formed, it’s really wonderful, and the work of the Holy Spirit! To see the celebration of all our branches at 100 years, and the great hospitality — how can you even describe it? You know, a hundred years! For me it was a real pilgrimage. I think some of the other Sisters would say the same. The great love and the relationships that we’ve built since the Eastern European SSS came out from the underground. We are so much alike! Our strengths and our weaknesses are the same.

Even during those isolated, dangerous underground years, during the communist suppression, they could only know the Sisters in their small cluster or formation group. When they would walk along the streets, and pass someone, they could tell it was another Sister of Social Service. They couldn’t say anything to each other, but they could feel it. They knew, they could feel it was one of the Sisters. It’s beautiful. But that’s the Holy Spirit! She works very powerfully when you’re in that kind of situation.

Tell me about one of the days that stands out the most.

Well, one of the things that was just very, very touching was the trip to the Jilava Prison in Romania. I was emotionally affected because I knew two of the Sisters that were there. One was Sr. Judith, who was the head of the community for a certain amount of time after she was released in the 1960’s. The other was Sr. Serena, who only died not too long ago. Both of them had been in solitary confinement. We had 13 Sisters from Romania that had been in that jail, living under horrible conditions. I don’t understand, how could they live through that? They did have the support of each other, but the way that they were treated, it was just horrible. In the wintertime, the temperatures were below freezing, no heat in that place. It’s just phenomenal to think of those forty years of our Sisters living in the underground, and many of those years were in prison. The Sisters were often blindfolded and moved from prison to during their confinement. The feeling as we walked through that place, it was quiet, it was prayerful, it was truly a spiritual pilgrimage.

What else stood out for you while you were there, especially with all the SSS being together?

The whole celebration, the flag, the banners, everything! In fact, the motto on the banners, which were all around Budapest, was Sara’s motto: “Here I am, send me.” Interestingly, when the Sisters transferred the motto onto the banner, they wrote instead, “here we are, send us”- Quite a different interpretation! There’s something that runs deep within all of us. It’s the call for social justice. I remember in 2006 during the beatification of Blessed Sara, several of us went to the different countries. What a great experience! Prior to that, in 1998, I had gone to Eastern Europe for a Federation meeting with one of the Sisters who had been the head of the community for twelve years during the “underground years.” Loved her! Anyway, she’s sitting next to me on the bus, she was quite a character, and we’re taking this eight-hour trip to visit the ministry sites in Romania. While on the bus, she shared with me very quietly, which really touched me, she said, “We couldn’t have friends.” That’s all she said, but it just opened the door for me to understand her experience. You see, if you had a friend and you had to do something secret, in terms of the community, they’d say, “Well, how come you can’t go to this on this weekend? Why can’t you?” You know, that kind of question, what friends expect of you. Just an amazing woman, a truly amazing woman. So… the coming together of the community, it was just an incredible experience.

What do you want to say to donors who have supported the Centennial journeys?
Thank You! Thank you for your generosity in supporting this effort. Your kindness is literally far-reaching—it’s not just the Sisters of Social Service who have had this experience. It’s everyone! It’s far-reaching. For instance, St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest was packed on Centennial Day, just packed! It’s like the whole city of Budapest knew it was special, like a national holiday. And since each country plans their own celebrations (including the SSSLA in 2026!) the people who are involved with us and know the history, experience a far-reaching inspiration, because you know, these are tough times right now. These are tough times in terms of Europe and in our own country, in terms of what’s going on in the struggle for social justice, the kind of oppression that people are experiencing all over the world.  The fact that our Sisters stand for social justice, and especially for those living on the margins, in many ways is incredible. Sometimes our charism is expressed through social work and art, sometimes it’s through music, sometimes it’s catechetical, sometimes it’s through law, you know, look at Ukraine and the work we’ve done there on the borders. So the generosity of donors has far-reaching effects. You have no idea! It’s not just that the Sisters went and, isn’t that wonderful they had this trip. No. This has far-reaching implications. And it’s being written up also in Catholic European newspapers and magazines. Our Centennial, it’s an incredible inspiration for people.

What do you want people to know about the SSS today?

For those of us who are here now, what a legacy! We stand on the shoulders of incredible women. And not just incredible SSS women. We have so many partners. Do you know the story of Sr. Margaret and the non-violent Catholic women’s march they organized across the famous Chain Bridge in Budapest in the early 1920’s? It’s incredible! There was a sister at every column of the bridge – I think it was every column of a hundred, and they marched across the entire bridge in support of women and family issues being fought for in the Legislature. That was just incredible! Bold! Yes, Bold! And then, later, Sr. Margaret went to the Holy Father and asked him, “How can we ransom the Jews?”

Mary: It’s like Magdi handing the Pope a little piece of paper at the plenary last summer which said something like “It’s our 100th anniversary next year, could you say a prayer for us?” Next thing you know, the Pope responds back with an invitation to Rome!

Yes! And then the next thing that happened, is Sr. Orsi, SSS, a noted Hungarian artist, was invited to design all of the special vestments for the Pope’s recent visit to Budapest, and she even went to Italy to see the making of them! Listen, there’s only about 200 SSS in nine countries. There’s not that many of us, which makes me laugh. And we’re highly educated. You know, our Sisters in Eastern Europe, they are the ones who are calling together their own LCWR (Leadership Conference of Women Religious) and are working alongside women religious over there. It’s incredible! We are truly an inspired community who are living Life in the Spirit!