Selfless: The Story of Sr. Theophane's Missionary Life in the Jungles of Papua New Guinea - Hardcover

SSpS, Immolata Reida

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1618901206 ISBN 13: 9781618901200

Publisher: Saint Benedict Press, 2012

Synopsis

Selfless is the story of Sister Theophane, a passionate, driven nun dedicated to serving the poor around the world.

Discover the inspiring story of how a precocious young girl from upstate New York became a servant and apostle to the poor in the jungle missions of Papua New Guinea, and, eventually, a prisoner of the Japanese in World War II.

Selfless: The Story of Sr. Theophane\'s Missionary Life in the Jungles of Papua New Guinea was written in 1946 by a fellow sister of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, but it is just now being published for the first time.

Long held in anonymity, Sr. Theophane's amazing life of service and apostolic zeal is now finally being revealed to the world. Her story is a breathtaking tale that will inspire a new generation of Catholics to heed the call of service to Christ and others.

About this title

About the Author

Sister Immolata Reida was born Lillian Marie Reida in 1916. She entered the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters postulancy in Techny, Illinois on October 15, 1934. From the beginning, like Sister Theophane, she showed a great desire to join the missionary ranks of her sisters. She served as an educator, writer, and editor for the Sisters, from 1944 to 1959, during which time she wrote this biography of Sister Theophane. In September of 1959, Sister Immolata finally realized her dream of becoming a missionary, and set sail for Japan. There she served as a missionary, educator, and principal of various schools until poor health forced her to return to the United States in 1987. She died in 1993. 

From the Back Cover

Sister Theophane's story is a breathtaking tale that will inspire a new generation of Catholics to heed the call of service to Christ and to others. Relive the events of this humble nun's remarkable life, including: 
- Convincing her father to let her enter the convent
- Strengthening her relationship with God through her early struggles as a novice
- Finally achieving her life-long dream to be a foreign missionary 
- Taking on the unique and exotic challenges of the jungles of Papua New Guinea
- Offering the ultimate sacrifice in the midst of her selfless service to God and the people she served
Set against the wild, untamed, and beautiful backdrop of Papua New Guinea, Selfless is an exciting, joyful, and inspiring glimpse into the heart of a true missionary - and a true servant of God. 

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

""Sister, what virtue shall we say your practiced most?" Sister Milreda Zeller, pad and pencil in hand, was again teasing Sister Theophane about her future biography. Sister Theophane eyed her inquistor mischievously and replied: "Write that I loved animals!" Then, as though to confirm her statement, she hurried from the kitchen with leftovers from the meal for the dogs, cats, and chickens. 
Sr. Theophane did not know then that one day someone would reach across the Pacific to the South Seas in order to gather material about her. Neither did she dream that her passionate cry, "I want hardship!" would flash before the world as the summary of a missionary life heroic in the service of people in a remote land. 
In these pages that life of missionary zeal, which burst into flame in the child of six and was quenched only when an intrepid Sister lay dead on the deck of a prison ship, is simply told. Sister Theophane's direction, "Write that I loved animals" has not been neglected - but there was more than that to tell."
-- From the Introduction

Edition details

• Publisher: Saint Benedict Press
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1618901206
• ISBN 13: 9781618901200
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 270
• Editor: Maier G.J.