Congratulations SDS on 125 Years in the United States!

In the 1850s, Therese von Wullenweber (now Blessed Mary of the Apostles), the daughter of a German aristocrat, longed and searched for a religious missionary apostolate to join. She entered and left several women religious orders in the processes. In 1882, she met (the now Blessed) Father Francis Jordan, founder of the Salvatorians. In 1888, the two worked together to organize a group of women religious called the Sisters of the Divine Savior to join the emerging Salvatorian family, which also included priests, lay women and men, and brothers. The Salvatorians were – and have since been – devoted to the proclamation and teaching – by all ways and means – the goodness and kindness of Jesus the Savior to every corner of the world.

 

In 1895, Milwaukee Archbishop Francis Xavier Katzer met Father Francis Jordan in Italy. He asked if the Sisters of the Divine Savior would provide nursing care to poor immigrants in Milwaukee. Within four years, 18 sisters were serving in the city, and in 1897, they started working in schools.

 

In 1900, a motherhouse was created for the sisters in Milwaukee. In 1926, Mother Hedwig, the superior of the Salvatorian sisters’ North American Province at the time, desired to create a high school at the motherhouse for young women who wished to join the order. On September 27, 1926, 20 students began studies at Divine Savior High School.

 

In 2020, as Divine Savior Holy Angels High School celebrates the 125^th Anniversary of the ministry of the Sisters of the Divine Savior in the United States, the community is honored to work alongside of the SDS North American Provincial Leaders, the Salvatorian sisters who serve on the DSHA Board of Directors, the SDS Sponsorship Coordinator, and the SDS liaison for the annual Salvatorian Sisters Service Award. Today nearly 1,000 Sisters of the Divine Savior are present in 28 countries on five continents, concentrating on and involved in healthcare, education, and social services.