Who We Are
We, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, CPS (the abbreviation CPS stands for Congregatio Pretiosi Sanguinis in Latin), are an international congregation of women, founded by the Trappist Abbot Francis Pfanner in Mariannhill, near Durban, South Africa, on the 8th of September 1885. With the title Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, our founder wanted us totally committed to the service of Christ’s redeeming love, to make the Precious Blood of Christ fruitful for all (Const. 102). Our title is our mandate: to live the Paschal Mystery and to witness the redeeming love of Christ.
Mission
Mission to and among people and readiness to be sent wherever the need is greatest are essential elements of our life and spirit. Our legacy received from Abbot Francis Pfanner is imbued with the Benedictine spirit. This contemplative-missionary heritage of our Founder inspires us CPS worldwide to commit ourselves to fulfill our religious and missionary calling of ora et labora, pray and work.
The challenges of today speak to the heart of this, our double vocation, and call us beyond the familiar to new ways of being and witnessing in the world and for the world. It also means to stand with Mary under the cross in ready attentiveness to God’s word.
From simple beginnings in South Africa over 130 years ago, our Congregation grew and expanded to other countries. In response to the needs of the times, we, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, continue to begin new missions.
Our Founder
Born as the son of a farmer on 21 September 1825 in Langen, Vorarlberg, Austria, Wendelin Pfanner was ordained a Priest in 1850. He served as parish priest, confessor to Sisters, and was appointed extraordinary prison chaplain. Despite his ill health, he undertook several journeys to Rome and to the Holy Land before he joined the strict contemplative Trappist order to live a life of prayer, penance, and silence.
In 1864, he pronounced his first vows at the Mariawald Trappist Monastery, Germany, as Father Francis, the religious name he was given. His talents and tenacious character were quickly apparent, and he was sent out to establish another Trappist Monastery, which he called Mariastern, in Bosnia.
In 1872, he was appointed Prior of Mariastern. During the General Chapter of the Trappists in Sept Fons, France, in 1879, a visiting Bishop from South Africa asked for missionaries for his diocese. It was so unusual that Trappists, known as “silent monks” who lived strictly contemplatively, could be asked to become missionaries in foreign lands! It was even more unusual that the youngest Chapter member broke the silence of the situation, stood up and said: If no one goes, I will go!
In 1880, he travelled with a group of fellow Trappists to South Africa. This readiness to set out on the ad gentes journey to Africa made the foundation of our Congregation possible.
In 1885, on 1 September, as a result of his enthusiastic articles in the German Catholic press, five young German women travelled to South Africa to join his missionary work. They had a vocation to religious life and were eager to have a specific common rule of life. They were given red material to sew a simple uniform, which they wore for the first time on 8 September 1885, and received their community rules; this is considered the date of the founding of our Congregation, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood.
Francis Pfanner recruited all the new members of the newly founded congregation personally up to 1892. He spread a net of mission stations over the southern part of Natal, South Africa, and beyond, with his monks and the sisters. A great problem was the conflict between mission activity and the Trappist rule. It became so acute that he had to resign as Abbot of Mariannhill.
In 1894, he went to the mission station called Emaus, where he continued the work of evangelization, faithful to the end in prayer and work, and especially in his suffering, while the sisters’ community had grown in numbers.
Our Co-Foundress: Sr. Paula Emunds 1865 – 1948
The life of Paula Emunds, our co-foundress, was inspired and guided by Abbot Francis Pfanner in her responsibility for the growing congregation. Josefine Emunds was born in the small village of Schleiden, Germany in 1865.
At only 19 years, she became one of the pioneers who journeyed to Africa to serve God and his people. On 7 October 1886, she arrived at her destination, Mariannhill, near Durban, and already a month later, she made her commitment and received the name Paula as her religious name.
On 8 December 1888, she pronounced her first vows. At the age of 22, she had to take up leadership of the Sisters and was already in charge of 34 novices and 15 postulants. Sister Paula was recognized as a daughter of the Founder among the Sisters.
Her innovative spirit emerged when, by the end of 1887, Sr. Paula welcomed indigenous candidates. However, this was discontinued and left to future generations. She also supported a second innovation by accepting secular persons who should work with the Sisters. Struggles with the challenge of religious vocation, institutions and structures, and the ideals of obedience and service made Sr. Paula the strong and faithful woman that she was.
At only 19 years, she became one of the pioneers who journeyed to Africa to serve God and his people. On 7 October 1886, she arrived at her destination, Mariannhill, near Durban, and already a month later, she made her commitment and received the name Paula as her religious name. On 8 December 1888, she pronounced her first vows. At the age of 22, she had to take up leadership of the Sisters and was already in charge of 34 novices and 15 postulants. Sister Paula was recognized as a daughter of the Founder among the Sisters.
Her innovative spirit emerged when, by the end of 1887, Sr. Paula welcomed indigenous candidates. However, this was discontinued and left to future generations. She also supported a second innovation by accepting secular persons who should work with the Sisters. Struggles with the challenge of religious vocation, institutions and structures, and the ideals of obedience and service made Sr. Paula the strong and faithful woman that she was.
Sent back to Germany, she was appointed Assistant Superior and Directress of Formation in Kirchherten, and two years later, in 1891, Sr. Paula became Superior and Directress of Formation in Helden-Panningen, the Netherlands, the then Formation House in Europe for our Sisters. During the twelve years in Panningen, more than 200 Sisters had, under her direction, obtained their religious and missionary formation in the spirit of the Founder. In 1903, the Sisters’ community moved into Heilig Blut, the future mother house of our congregation and, for many years until 1971, the seat of the general administration.
Mother Paula guided the unfolding of our congregation in the spirit of the Founder. She was a missionary rooted in contemplation and aflame with missionary zeal. Her spiritual legacy and that of Abbot Francis Pfanner are laid down in The Inner Spirit, which serves as a spiritual guideline for each CPS until today.
“We should ask for the strength and courage to say ‘Yes Father’ with a resolute heart in the Spirit of Jesus and Mary.”
– Memoirs of Mother Paula
Our History
During the nineteenth century, the Church renewed its interest in Africa with new missionary endeavours and with a new vision. One of these was the Trappist monk Francis Pfanner.
Then a bishop from South Africa, Richards by name, came to the chapter. He asked for Trappists to come to the Cape Province. All the Abbots remained silent after he had made his proposal. They were not missionaries. How could he expect them, who were used to a settled life, to begin in an entirely new land so far away and so undeveloped? Perhaps he should forget the whole thing…suddenly Prior Francis stood up to reply, “If no one will take the job, I will!” Arrangements made with the bishop, he quickly returned to Mariastern to ask for volunteers and settle affairs there. Soon Francis and 31 companions from Mariastern were on their way to Africa by boat.
In accord with the intentions of its Founder, who wanted to establish a Missionary Institute, the members dedicate themselves primarily to the task of the evangelisation among those peoples with whom the church has not yet taken root or is not yet viable without being aided. (cf. Const. 104)
Therefore, the institution was founded in order to dedicate themselves to those peoples and nations who do not yet believe in Christ, and to assist the growth of the young mission churches still in need of help, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood commit themselves to fulfill their religious and missionary calling, in fidelity to the charism of their Founder, passed on to them by Mother M. Paula Emunds, the first canonical superior general of the Institute.
We value our Benedictine legacy of hospitality.
“All whom we meet should experience Christ’s redeeming love through us.”
(Const 407)
Community Life
As Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, we live and experience the mystery of our Charism and are valuable within our own communities. Here we can deepen our understanding of our founders’ vision and practise it daily.
From our constitution, which gives shape to the loving of our charism, reminds us that: “Community living is possible only with a certain order. It requires a balance of prayer, work, silence, leisure, privacy, and service in community. Accountability and open relationships within our communities require that we dialogue with our local superiors about important matters.” (Const. 405.)
A life-giving community is centered on Jesus, the giver of life. It is a gift from God which we freely accept. A community is our new family, not chosen by ourselves but by Him, and intended to be our home where we can feel we belong and receive, but also offer support in many ways. CPS communities are international by nature, with sisters from all different countries and cultures living together.
Therefore, in all CPS communities, we have common prayers, meals which bring the strength and unity which our constitution supports in the best way: “Common meals are a continuation of the Eucharistic meal. They remind us of God’s loving providence, which challenges us to grow in love for one another and to pass this love on for others.” Const.406. Mindful that we live in a world where our brothers and sisters suffer want and famine, we are content with what is provided.