MARIA STEIN — The Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Sisters of the Precious Blood beginning their ministry in the United States on Oct. 20, 2019.
The Sisters of the Precious Blood were founded in 1834 by Mother Maria Anna Brunner in Loewenberg, Switzerland. Ten years later, three Sisters arrived in northwestern Ohio to help their foundress’s son, Father Francis de Sales Brunner (a Missionary of the Precious Blood), minister to the German speaking people in the New World. The Maria Stein Shrine is the former Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, founded two years after the Sisters’ arrival in the United States.
The Maria Stein Shrine will mark this milestone during a fall afternoon with several activities. At 2 p.m. on Oct. 20, the Rev. John Tonkin will bless the refurbished Sister’s Cemetery on the property. This will be an occasion to remember the Sisters who educated, cared for and prayed with our family members. Following this, there will be refreshments and a presentation by Sister Maryann Bremke, C.PP.S., a former president of the congregation, on the early convents. It will be a day to celebrate and pass on the faith imparted to the community by the Sisters, present in this country now for 175 years.
The Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics provides faith nourishment and spiritual renewal through opportunities for prayer and pilgrimage and inspiration from the lives of the saints. People from around the world visit the shrine to explore and enjoy this environment rich in holiness and history. The Shrine is located at 2291 St. John’s Road in Maria Stein. For more event information, visit www.mariasteinshrine.org.
