FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

“To dialogue means to believe that the ‘other’ has something worthwhile to say, and to entertain his or her point of view.” (Pope Francis)

Your questions are welcome. Please use the Contact form

1. Why are you wearing pink? Our pink habit symbolizes our consecration to the Holy Spirit. Pink is a color of joy and a “Pink Sister”, as many commonly call us, carries out the service of love in the joy of the Holy Spirit.
2. Do you also go out or make home visits? We go out when we need to go to the doctor or the like. When we have to exercise our rights as citizens of the country, we go out to cast our votes. But we do not go for home visits, not even when a loved one is ill or someone dies in the family. That is the sacrifice we have offered to God for his purpose, and it is a free and conscious decision on our part.
3. Do you go out in pink? We go out in gray habit for practical reasons; and also so as not to attract much attention when we are outside the enclosure.
4. Why do you have grilles in the chapel and in your reception rooms? As one of our Chapter brochures explained: The grilles in the chapel and in the reception rooms should indicate to us and to all who come in contact with us the uniqueness of our vocation, which consists in a radical turning to God. Our life is not so much a “being-with-others” as a “being-for-others.”

This is our way of being open to the world. Our love shows itself primarily in a spiritual giving which in and through Christ transcends every boundary.
5. Do you also watch TV and read newspapers? We watch TV only when there is some important Church or religious events like the World Youth Day, the visit of the Pope in the country where we are and the like. We watch video films of religious nature or documentary films. But we have limits – only for a few times a year.

We may read newspapers but each sister is responsible for how much and what kind of article is necessary to read and what really serves our contemplative life.
6. Do you also get transferred to another convent? Do you have vow of stability? We do not have vow of stability. We should always be ready to be transferred wherever and whenever there is a need in any of our convents. It is our Superior General and her Council who decide on this.
7. How do you maintain contact with your family? Are they allowed to see you? Our families may visit us at least 3 times a year or write us or call us on the phone when needed. We may also write them occasionally, only that. They may come to see us in our reception room with the grilles between us.
8. Do the Sisters have access to internet or e-mail? Internet and writing by e-mail are for official use only. They are used to serve the needs of the community like the procuring of things we need which we could not do otherwise. Our Superior and the Sister in- charge of the Procure use them for community purposes or in managing the website (if there is).

Nowadays we are required by government offices to go digital. Whether we like it or not we have to abide and we have to learn in the process. For the rest of the Sisters in the community, we still go by “snail-mail” (per post).

What the world regards as foolishness is actually our loving service to the world.

– SSpSAP Chapter Brochure 1974 –