Servants MissionThe Eudist Servants of the 11 Hour

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Servants MissionThe Eudist Servants of the 11 Hour

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thEudist Servants of the 11 Hour (or simply: ESEH)

POB 530039, San Diego, CA 92153-0039 619-428-5783 Email: srannemariem@gmail.com

“If the Lord has placed upon your heart the desire to make a sacrifice for our mission,you may send your check to:

Sister Ann Gertrude rst heard about Mother Antonia through various internet Catholic forums. It was Mother Antonia's love for the Lord and her mission for the poor and imprisoned that drew her in. After reading “The Prison Angel,” by Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan, and listening to many talks online by Mother Antonia, Sister Ann Gertrude says she could not stop crying. She expressed how very genuine, deeply joyful, happy, affectionate, compassionate, and caring Mother Antonia was. She felt like she had to be a part of this same work.

When asked what unique skills she has that will benet the Servants' mission, she stated, “I think I receive more than I give.” She is here to do the will of God, and feels that He will use her in ways that will help the mission.

She recalls wanting to be part of the Association after much prayer and discernment, yet she felt a mixture of joy and worry. She was very adamant about wanting to follow the will of the Lord. “Little by little,” she said, “with His grace He guided me through this and I made my nal decision freely and happily.”

Before joining the Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour, Sister Ann Gertrude was a consecrated lay missionary and professional registered nurse. She was born and raised in Cameroon and worked there for many years; then she worked in New York for 18 years before learning about the Eudist Servants.

Since being a candidate, and now a Servant, Sister Ann Gertrude tells us how there are no typical days when bringing about the mission. “Things can change very quickly depending on the needs and the situations,” she stated, and thus she has needed to adjust and learn how to adapt. The

Welcome to the Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour, Sister Ann Gertrude.

Servants have been a tremendous help in this regard, always there to support her and one another. “I do rely on my Sisters and the Holy Spirit to guide my paths. I feel very blessed to be part of the Association,” she says. Sister Ann Gertrude quotes our Holy Mother, “May all be done to me according to His Holy Will, and all glories to our God.”

“Sister Ann Gertrude is the best nurse in the whole world,” according to Sister Anne Marie. She described her as down-to-earth, funny, and humble. “I would like to clone her and get 10 more!” Sister Anne Marie says, “If we're going to ask, let's get 20, or as many as You want, Lord!” Sister Ann Gertrude says, “I'm a happy unworthy servant of the Lord.” Her humble spirit and generosity will undoubtedly move the hearts of the poor and imprisoned.

An oblate (lay missionary) at that time, she met Mother Antonia in 2013 when Mother spoke at a meeting for the Benedictine oblates in Oceanside, San Diego County. Mother Antonia died 40 days after they met. A few years later, on February 11, 2018, the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, a photograph of Mother Antonia fell out of her notebook. “I had kept her picture all these years,” Sister Lourdes recalls. After retiring in 2019, she visited the Servants in Tijuana, Mexico, “and the rest is history,” she says.

Dr. Reyes took on the name Sister Lourdes this year on August 19th when she professed her rst vows as a Eudist Servant.

Sister Lourdes visited the convent and worked with the Servants before making her vows. She spoke of the powerful and prayerful moments that can occur during the simple act of preparing and giving out sandwiches to the poor. “Dios te bendiga,” or “God bless you,” became more meaningful to Sister Lourdes as each day passed.

Sister Lourdes is widowed and has a son, Eric, an Attorney in Los Angeles; a daughter, Lisa, a professor at the University of Denver School of Social Work; and a 12-year-old granddaughter, Cora Dawn. A former physician with a specialty in Pathology and Cytopathology, Sr. Lourdes received her M.D. from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines.

Sister Lourdes has always been a devout Catholic. She prayed the following prayer for the past 40 years, seeking the will of God: “Let me be Your feet to carry Your message into the world; Your lips to announce the good news of Your gospel; Your arms to bring my brothers to You. Let me be Your instrument in leading the souls redeemed by Your precious blood to an encounter with You.”

Sister Lourdes, welcome to the Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour.

The Servants could not agree more! “She helps her Sisters in any way that she possibly can. She gets along well with everybody,” comments Sister Viola.

Sister Lourdes has been assigned to the Mission House to assist with administrative work, accounting, and preparing the medicine supply for the prison and preparing sandwiches daily for the many who come to the door in need of food and water . She looks forward to when the Servants can be in-person to perform their prison ministry. Sister Viola talks about how much Sister Lourdes has helped her personally at Casa Campos as well. “She took the administration off my hands, and she does it 200% better than me,” Sister Viola laughs, and says, “She is very procient on the computer, she organizes spreadsheets, and she is very, very proactive… She has really settled in.”

When asked about her experience of taking vows as a Eudist Sister for the rst time, Sister Lourdes mentioned feeling unworthy, yet very blessed. She compared herself to “being below the surface of the soil, teeming with energy to nourish the roots of this St. John Eudes Vine of Life, Mother Antonia's 'twig,' in full service to others… I fully realize this is where I belong and where I can serve best.”

We welcome Sister LourdesWe welcome Sister Ann Gertrude

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Eudist Servants of the 11 Hour

Mother Antonia BrennerFoundress

Servants MissionThe

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Issue 4Winter 2020

The private ceremony was held in the chapel in the convent, Sister Anne Marie tells us. “Because of the CoronaVirus we still could not have a large group.” There were only ten people in attendance, including the priest, the sisters and two candidates, and the photographer.

The Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour made their vows this year on August 19th, the feast day of St. John Eudes.

“ Some of us have done this for many years but we all agreed it was one of the most meaningful celebrations we've had. I think it's because it was so quiet,” Sister Anne Marie says, and added, “It was very, very special.”

Father Zibi, as he is known by the Sisters, is the Vicar of Religious of the Archdiocese of Tijuana, and he celebrated the vows this year with the Servants. Sister Viola tells us how the vows take place. The priest's role is to rst receive (or listen to) Sister Viola's vows. Once he has received vows from her, she in turn receives the vows from the rest of the Sisters.

Two candidates accepted their vocation and professed their rst vows as Eudist Servants on the feast day of St. John Eudes. Sister Lourdes and Sister Ann Gertrude, the two newest members of the

The Servants are always seeking new candidates, and they have asked us all to join in prayer for more women to discern becoming Eudist Servants. Please visit eudistservants.org for more information.

After the profession of vows, Father Zibi spoke at length about Mother Antonia. “He knew her for thirty years,” Sister Anne Marie said, “he just thought the world of her...He wanted us to understand how special our Association is, that this is something that the Church does not have very much of. The Archbishop very much wants to see our Association continue, and that we should realize what we have in our vocation.”

She repeated again, “It was a very special day.”

the Association, are loved by the other Servants. Bringing their own unique backgrounds and experiences to the table, the Servants are even more equipped to accomplish their mission of tending to the needs and hearts of those they serve.

The Servants have been accustomed to being in the community, visiting the prisoners, and giving talks to churches and groups. Much of this has come to a stand-still due to Covid-19.

When asked how supporters of the Servants can help, Sister Anne Marie says that men's clothing is always needed. “Ninety percent of the people who come to the door at Casa Campos are men. And they are usually, but not always, homeless.”

Please consider visiting the website Donations page, where you can follow the Amazon link to see what is on the Servants' Charity list. High priority items include men's boxers, white unisex socks, and women's sports bras.

“We always need prayer,” Sister Anne Mare reminds us. “Like the Vicar of Religious said, ‘it is important that we continue the work we are doing.’ ”

“We can't do what we do without your help,” she reminds us. The Servants reach as many people as they do because of the support and generosity of people like you.

The Servants still bring items at the prison's request, and the needs of the prisoners change daily. They bring supplies, including toilet paper, soap and medicine to the prison gates. The guards meet them there and bring the items inside. The Servants miss interacting with the prisoners on a regular basis, and the prisoners desperately miss the Servants' warm company and encouragement.

Servants make their vows on the feast day of St. John Eudes

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Continuing the mission through a lengthy pandemic

A generous and anonymous donor plans to donate $5,000 as a matching gift to the Servants of the Eleventh Hour. Please consider donating via PayPal, Venmo, or check during this winter season, so that the Servants can have $10,000 to continue their service and mission into the new year! If you donate $100 or more, you will be sent a copy of “The Prison Angel,” in English (or El Angel De La Prisión, in Spanish) a book about the life of Mother Antonia, written by Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan. This online fundraiser will be live from now until the end of the year. Visit eudistservants.org to watch the numbers grow, and see your monetary impact reach the matching $5,000 gift.

If you are interested in joining our Association, please contact Sr. Anne Marie Maxeld: srannemariem@gmail.com or call 858-869-5799

Eudist Servants of the 11 Hour th

San Diego, CA 92153-0039P.O. Box 530039