Today at 5 pm. The Congress decorated the Congregation of Missionaries of Jesus, Word and Victim (MJVVV). Through the Warmi Legacy, the voice of women who make history. Women who dream, create and transform.
In fact, it is a posthumous recognition of Mother Willibrordis, co-founder of the MJVV congregation in Peru. She was the first Superior General of the MJVVV, a very courageous religious who dedicated herself to the formation of those who embraced religious life.
In fact, it is a posthumous recognition of Mother Willibrordis, co-founder of the MJVV congregation in Peru. She was the first Superior General of the MJVVV, a very courageous religious who dedicated herself to the formation of those who embraced religious life.
She was decorated by the German government for her great pastoral and social work in Peru. Born in Paderborn, Germany, on 8 March 1907, she was the eldest daughter of Augusto and Elizabeth. As a child she distinguished herself for her determination, character and high ideals. She used to say: “I think I was born with the vocation to be a missionary sister, because I don’t remember a time during my childhood and youth when I wanted to be anything else but a religious sister”. One day in class, the teacher told her students to each write a composition on the theme: “What I want to be one day”. Therese wrote: “I want to be a missionary, I will go to China. There I will baptise all the children.
She graduated as a kindergarten teacher and worked four consecutive summers from 1926 to 1930 in the children’s village of Heuberg, while continuing her studies to become a Jugendleiterin (youth trainer). At the age of 27, one day in 1930, she took a walk in a forest in Beuron, at a certain height she could see the river Danube and the abbey in the near distance, where she discovered her vocation: “A light came to me like a flash of lightning. It was not a light visible to the eyes of the body, but very visible to the eyes of the heart. I saw very clearly that God was calling me.
In 1932 she applied to join the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart (MSC) in Hiltrup. She was admitted and given the entry date of July 1933. However, the political situation in Germany was of great concern to her. She feared that Hitler would come to power and would no longer allow her to enter the convent, so she decided not to wait any longer and entered on 11 February 1932. On 15 August 1933 she took her first vows, taking the name Mother Wilibrordis. When Mother Wilibrordis was 31 years old, she was one of the first MSC who travelled to Peru at the request of the Peruvian government to take charge of a school-home in Ancon-Lima to care for very poor children from separated families. They arrived on 30 July 1938. In Lima she met Father Federico Kaiser, also MSC. When she saw him for the first time, she thought to herself: “I will never confess to this priest”, and it was he who became not only her confessor, but also a true model of a priest.
In 1932 she applied to join the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart (MSC) in Hiltrup. She was admitted and given the entry date of July 1933. However, the political situation in Germany was of great concern to her. She feared that Hitler would come to power and would no longer allow her to enter the convent, so she decided not to wait any longer and entered on 11 February 1932. On 15 August 1933 she took her first vows, taking the name Mother Wilibrordis. When Mother Wilibrordis was 31 years old, she was one of the first MSC who travelled to Peru at the request of the Peruvian government to take charge of a school-home in Ancon-Lima to care for very poor children from separated families. They arrived on 30 July 1938. In Lima she met Father Federico Kaiser, also MSC. When she saw him for the first time, she thought to herself: “I will never confess to this priest”, and it was he who became not only her confessor, but also a true model of a priest.
Later in 1944, Mother Wilibrordis served as head nurse at the Hospital Obrero in Chocope, Trujillo. She arrived in Caravelí in 1959, where she was the first director of the San Miguel kindergarten. In 1961, she was already well acquainted with Bishop Kaiser, who had discovered in her an authentic religious. One day she very discreetly spoke to Mother Wilibrordis about a daring undertaking. – Nobody knows about this, please be very discreet. If one day I should decide to found it, would you help me?” – “Of course, of course!” replied Mother Wilibrordis. And she immediately began to draw up her programme. Then she said: “Monsignor, you are so old and I am so old. We don’t have to wait any longer. Bishop Federico Kaiser said that he had previously said to the Peruvian Nuncio: “Your Excellency, if I start with this, I need the help of an experienced nun who can help me. I know one. If I don’t get one, I won’t start”. Thus, Bishop Frederick Kaiser MSC, on 22 June 1961, founded the Pious Union of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus, Word and Victim. And Mother Wilibrordis became co-foundress of the congregation, collaborating directly in the formation of the religious. In 1967 she took her perpetual vows as a member of the new congregation.
At present the MJVVM Congregation is made up of determined and courageous young Peruvian women and many more young women from other South and Central American countries have joined this spiritual army. The MJVVM have succeeded in expanding not only in Peru but throughout Latin America and we are sure that in the future their apostolate will spread throughout the whole world.
The Missionary Mothers of Jesus the Word and Victim are very committed to their mission and charism of catechizing, preaching the Gospel of Christ and doing spiritual, social, cultural and pedagogical work in the Andean communities following the motto of their Founding Father, Servant of God Federico Kaiser: “Where a paved road ends, there begins the work of the Missionaries of Jesus the Word and Victim”.
The Missionary Mothers of Jesus the Word and Victim are very committed to their mission and charism of catechizing, preaching the Gospel of Christ and doing spiritual, social, cultural and pedagogical work in the Andean communities following the motto of their Founding Father, Servant of God Federico Kaiser: “Where a paved road ends, there begins the work of the Missionaries of Jesus the Word and Victim”.
