Sisters of the Holy Spirit at Alsike Convent

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The churchyard of Alsike Convent AlsikeKloster1905.jpg
The churchyard of Alsike Convent

The Sisters of the Holy Spirit (Swedish: Helgeandssystrarna) is an Evangelical-Lutheran monastic religious order of nuns of the Church of Sweden, who inhabit Alsike Convent (Swedish: Alsike kloster) in Uppsala County, Sweden. [1] [2] Attached to the convent is Alsike Evangelical Lutheran Church and near the convent is an Evangelical-Lutheran hermitage. [3] The religious habit of The Sisters of the Holy Spirit includes a dove with a cross. [4] The seven canonical hours are prayed daily at Alsike Convent and the nuns (who are currently ten in number) form the schola at the Alsike Church, where High Mass is celebrated every Lord's Day (Sunday). [5]

Contents

History

The Evangelical-Lutheran nuns of the Order of the Holy Spirit wear a grey habit with a dove lapel pin (the nuns are standing in the rear of this procession at Alsike Church). Depicted is Sr. Marianne Nordstrom, who founded Alsike Convent. Syster Marianne170606 2.jpg
The Evangelical-Lutheran nuns of the Order of the Holy Spirit wear a grey habit with a dove lapel pin (the nuns are standing in the rear of this procession at Alsike Church). Depicted is Sr. Marianne Nordström, who founded Alsike Convent.

The Sisters of the Holy Spirit was founded by Sr. Marianne Nordström and Sr. Ella Perssonin 1954, with the convent being attached to Alsike Church. [6] [4] [7] The religious instutute is a part of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Sweden and aligns itself with the Missionsprovinsen—the confessional branch of Evangelical Lutheranism. [8] [9] [5] The nuns hold that at Alsike Convent "we live our monastic vocation, with a common prayer life that sustains our day". [10]

The Sisters of the Holy Spirit have a ministry for providing food for the poor, as well as a ministry for providing sanctuary for persecuted refugees at Alsike Convent. [11] [12] [13] The entrance sign of Alsike Convent references Matthew 25:35, noting that it is "sanctuary for refugees in danger". [14] [15]

The construction of a daughter house under the auspices of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya is being contemplated, with postulants from Kenya discerning joining consecrated life in the Sisters of the Holy Spirit. [5]

The Swedish short film Guds rikes ambassad, directed by Amelie Herbertsson, Izabelle Nordfjell and Therese Jahnson, is a documentary on the Sisters of the Holy Spirit at Alsike Convent. [16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Johnston, William M. (4 December 2013). Encyclopedia of Monasticism: 2 volume set. Routledge. p. 1048. ISBN   978-1-136-78716-4.
  2. ↑ Riksdagens protokoll (in Swedish). Riksdagen. 1995. p. 559. Sisters of the Holy Spirit in their convent in Alsike.
  3. ↑ Sätterman, Joakim (2016). "Vart jag mig i världen vänder: Alsike Monastic Villag" (PDF). Chalmers Architecture. p. 6. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Sätterman, Joakim (2016). "Vart jag mig i världen vänder: Alsike Monastic Villag" (PDF). Chalmers Architecture. p. 17. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Alsike kloster" (in Swedish). Missionsprovinsen. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  6. ↑ Hitchen, P. (16 February 2021). "Faith groups raise voices of refugees and asylum seekers". Lutheran World Federation. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Alsike församling" (in Swedish). Church of Sweden. 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  8. ↑ MECC News Report, Volumes 7-8. Middle East Council of Churches. 1994. p. 12.
  9. ↑ Radio, Sveriges (27 April 2017). "Swedish nun provides sanctuary for refugee families". Sveriges Radio . Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Hedman, Paulina (18 April 2017). "Klostret blev Syster Karins fönster mot världen" (in Swedish). Budbäraren. Retrieved 22 October 2025. Här lever vi vår klosterkallelse, med ett gemensamt böneliv som bär upp vår dag. Det är ett gemensamt liv i ensamhet, förstår ni? säger Syster Karin.
  11. ↑ "Alsike kloster hjälper Willys att minska svinnet" (in Swedish). Kyrkans Tidning. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  12. ↑ Cohn-Sherbok, Dan (1990). The Canterbury Papers: Essays on Religion and Society. Bellew. p. 148. ISBN   978-0-947792-44-2. ...Alsike convent near Uppsala has used her convent as a sanctuary for refugees.
  13. ↑ Nordic Sounds. NOMUS. 1990. p. 2. ...Alsike Convent is situated in a village in Uppland, not far from Arlanda airport, where so many men and women fleeing from terror and oppression have taken their first steps on Swedish soil.
  14. ↑ Lippert, Randy K.; Rehaag, Sean (2013). Sanctuary Practices in International Perspectives: Migration, Citizenship, and Social Movements. Routledge. p. 129. ISBN   978-0-415-67346-4. At the entrance, there is a sign announcing that the Alsike monastery is a 'sanctuary for refugees in danger', referring to Genesis 4:15 and Matthew 25:35.
  15. ↑ Rabben, Linda (1 September 2016). Sanctuary and Asylum: A Social and Political History. University of Washington Press. p. 227. ISBN   978-0-295-99914-2.
  16. ↑ Gustafsson, Lina. "Närvaro, frånvaro, användning och anpassning" (in Swedish). Lund University. pp. 41–44.
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