Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament
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November 2, 2017
Sister Anna Marie Espinoza, IWBS is vocations director for the Sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.
The charism of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in the Church is to live and proclaim the Incarnation of the Word. The Spirit calls them in a special way to represent the Incarnate Word before the world as perfectly as possible. They strive, therefore, to achieve the complete self-emptying of the Word made flesh, the simplicity and graciousness of Jesus with all, especially the children and the poor, his virginal chastity, his strength and obedience at Gethsemane, his total love, culminating on the cross. The sisters work to radiate Jesus as the warm, gracious, loving person who walked with people and lived in communion with them.When Bishop Jean Marie Odin, the first Bishop of Texas, made an extended tour of his Diocese of Galveston in 1850, traveling on horseback from San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley, he realized that the vast area was sadly lacking in priests and religious, so urgently needed to minister to and instruct the people. His great missionary heart was saddened by all that needed to be done. His first—and perhaps best—resource, he felt, was his native France. He set out for France 1851 to seek priests, sisters and seminarians for Texas.
It was early in 1852 when he knocked on the door of the Incarnate Word Convent of Lyons, where he was graciously received, and the sisters listened with great attention as he recounted for them his unique experiences in the mission fields of Texas.
The superior, Sister Angelique Hiver, did not give a promise of missionaries, but asked the bishop to petition the Holy Father for a granting of an indulgence for the Lyons chapel on his visit to Rome. Pope Pius IX said he would give the indulgence if Mother Angelique would send sisters to Texas with Bishop Odin. Mother Angelique saw it as an expression of God’s will that she send the Sisters.
Four Incarnate Word Sisters made a five-day journey by coach from Lyons to Le Havre on March 23, 1852. They set sail on the La Belle Assise along with a large group of priests, brothers, sisters and seminarians traveling to the mission fields of Texas.
Communal prayer is a basic aspect of the lives of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. Their liturgical celebrations include the Liturgy of the Hours, the celebration of the Eucharist and the commemoration of special feasts.
The sisters take time daily for quiet personal prayer, in an attitude of discernment and adoration of the mystery of God’s presence in the Eucharist, in people, in events and in creation. They value the frequent celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation. They seek to have an attitude of adoration permeate every aspect of their lives.
Their religious consecration, rooted in baptism, makes them a clear sign of the presence of Christ in the Church and in the world. The sisters make a free and public profession of the vows of celibate chastity, poverty and obedience, and promise to live them with fidelity and generosity. Inspired by the vision of our foundress, Jeanne Chézard de Matel. They see their lives as a closer following of the Incarnate Word, who has called them by love, in love, for love and to be love for others.
Called together by the love of Christ, the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament share that love with each other in the specific realities of their life together. They share their faith experience; they support one another in mission; and they enjoy each other’s gifts and talents. Their community life points to the mystery of the Trinity, as they strive for unity while honoring diversity.
Presently, 45 sisters serve in the Diocese of Corpus Christi primarily, and also in the Dioceses of Brownsville and Beaumont. They primarily minister in their schools, Incarnate Word Academy Corpus Christi, Incarnate Word Academy Brownsville and Villa Maria Language Institute. They sponsor Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School, a Nativity/Miguel school in Brownsville.
They also serve in parishes, including St. Pius X and St. Philip the Apostle in Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart in Rockport and Holy Spirit in McAllen. They also serve in leadership and administration of the congregation and diocesan positions. They volunteer as hospital support, leading retreats and preparing liturgies, providing spiritual direction, serving breakfast to the homeless, comforting the sick and the dying, working on behalf of peace and justice and praying daily for the needs of our world.
Besides the congregation in Corpus Christi, the sisters have communities in Houston, Victoria, Parma Heights, Ohio; Gomez Palacio, Durango; Guadalajara, Jalisco; Tlalpan, Mexico City; Mixcoac, Mexico City; and Teziutlan, Puebla. The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston are also a part of the Incarnate Word family. Eleven independent congregations serve in 13 countries: the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, France, Spain, Ireland, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya.
While the sisters have many voices, they have the face of one community. Their shared life is the source from which their works flow, for it is where they have the opportunity to support and challenge one another to grow. Community is also another gift of love they offer to the Church today.
To learn more about the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament visit iwbscc.org.
(Editor’s note: This is first in a series that will feature one of the congregations of consecrated life in the Diocese of Corpus Christi.)
