THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 46, NO. 9 | OCTOBER 11, 2024
CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA
Pope Francis poses for a photo with the students and staff of the Holy Trinity Humanistic School in Baro, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 8. Sister Sacrifice is pictured behind and to his right with two of her schoolchildren in front of her. She both translated for the pope and gave him an update on the work of the mission school during his visit.
FINDING FAITH, JOY ON THE PERIPHERIES
By Jan Dixon Special to The Leaven
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EAWOOD — It was no surprise to her family or members of her parish — Church of the Nativity here — when AnneMarie Whitehead accepted the call to become a member of the Sister Servants of the Lord and Virgin of La Matara (SSVM). She had always embraced mission work during her formative years. “When you say yes to God, you never know what’s coming or where it might take you,” said Tom Whitehead, father of Sister Sacrifice. “You’d better hang on tight.” But even they couldn’t have imagined who the young missionary would be hosting a short five years later at her
To support the work of Sister Sacrifice and the Servidoras, donations can be made to: SSVM Inc., Attn: Papua New Guinea, 533 Tioga St., Philadelphia, PA 19140
mission in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea (PNG). “The papal visit was truly a surreal, once-in-a-lifetime experience!” said Sister Mary Altar of Sacrifice. “I never thought . . . that the Vicar of Christ would come to the ends of the earth to visit us simple missionaries. “God is always full of surprises.” The SSVM order, known internationally as Servidoras, are missionaries who go to the peripheries to bring the news of Christ to the people. The Diocese of Vanimo is both a very poor and very remote area of PNG and it is
COURTESY PHOTO
Sister Sacrifice, a member of the Sister Servants of the Lord and Virgin of La Matara, and a native of Church of the Nativity in Leawood, happily displays the U.S. and papal flags during Pope Francis’ visit to Papua New Guinea. “It is so uplifting to witness one of our own engaging in the great commission of Jesus,” said Father Mike Hawken, pastor of Church of the Nativity. “We love seeing Sister Sacrifice filled with incredible joy in living her vocation.” here that Sister Sacrifice serves alongside the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) priests and other Servidoras. “We are a very small delegation that includes three communities in PNG and one in the Solomon Islands,” said Sister Sacrifice. “Since we are not many Sisters in the delegation, we all serve in many roles.”
Wearing many hats Two of the communities operate the vocation house for aspirants and postulants and the Lujan Home for Girls, a livein safe house. Sister Sacrifice’s community has a number of apostolates: They >> See “Sister” on page 10