Holy Spirit College is named in honour of the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters (SSpS – Servae Spiritus Sancti – Servants of the Holy Spirit) who established St Flannan's School at Zillmere in 1954 and who have a long history of ministry in health care, education, and pastoral work in the north Brisbane region.
The Holy Spirit Sisters were one of three orders founded by German Priest, St Arnold Janssen - the Society of the Divine Word (SVD - Societas Verbi Divini), the Missionary Sisters - Servant of the Holy Spirit, Mother Maria Helena Stollenwerk and Mother Josepha, Hendrina Stenmanns.
Story of the Australian Province
In May 1944, 18 Holy Spirit Sisters, survivors of the Japanese prison camps and death ships in Papua New Guinea, arrived in Brisbane. They joined five other sisters who had arrived earlier after trekking for months across the mountains and valleys of Papua New Guinea. Their bodies were sick and weary, their spirits sad and laden with heavy memories. They were grateful to be alive and still held the will to continue living and serving. Sadly, 54 of their Sisters died tragically during the World War II conflict in Papua New Guinea.
Read more about the Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters here.