Report of the JPIC Coordinator of the Slovak SSpS Province

The communities of SSpS of the Province of the Holy Spirit in Slovakia SSpS endeavour to minister to people, marginalized for one or the other reason or to those who are in need of help. Among them are particularly Roma people, sick, lonely, old and dying, handicapped and women.

Apostolate with Roma people, so called gipsies, is one of the priorities of the Slovak SSpS province, because their position in the society is indeed a challenge for us as missionary sisters. They make about 8-10 % of the total population of the country, which means around 400 000 (fourhundred thausend) people. Yet, Slovakia is after Bulgaria the second country in Europe with the highest number of gipsies.

So far we do not have exact statistics, because according to the last census in our country only ¼ of them confirmed their belonging to this minority.

Approximately a half of them are integrated in the society, the rest are concentrated in places near villages or towns. In Slovakia there are around 600 (sixhundred) Roma villages, especially in the east of the country. Marginalized Roma communities belong to the least developed, and the situation the gipsies live in can indeed be called frontier mission. Let us see some facts that speak about it:
 80 % has only basic education, often not even completed
 75 % of their families depend on government subsidy
 low standard of living and health care
 high rate of unemployment because of little education; this makes them unable to pay taxes for their houses, which leads to illegal housing
 prejudices and social distance

These are the facts that we all know. Yet, we do not want to excuse them or cover them simply with their culture and history, but as Servants of the Holy Spirit we want to search for appropriate and effective forms of help for these people living among us.

Common life with the rest of the population and their integration into the society is our desire and aim, yet it will be a long process, looking at their demographic development, because 40 % of Roma people living in Slovakia are children younger than 15 years of age. Therefore our apostolate concentrates mainly on children and youth. We want to educate them and implant in their hearts basic human and Christian values.

In some places the sisters work directly among the Roma people. Two years ago, during our meeting in Nitra you visited the marginalized area called Orechov Dvor. In that time there were 35 families living there who were unable to pay the rent of the flats in the town. Last year some more families were placed there – in certain unimocells made of metal. Today there are 65 families living there, which means more than 300 (threehundred) citizens in material needs, at the edge of life minimum. The possibility of increasing “migration” into this settlement is very real.
The last bus stop before this settlement is about one kilometre through the field. The real problem here is unemployment, school truancy and accumulation of social disadvantages with all their consequences.
Two of our sisters work in this settlement for five years now, ministering especially to the children and youth, organizing for them various afternoon activities, particularly tutoring, preparation for classes, catechesis, development of talents and creativity, playing and outings. Through education and meaningful use of time we aim at building up the sense of their own value. This evokes in their parents interest in a good education of their children. A number of times they expressed their gratitude and whish that the children attend these activities. According to possibilities and interest we work also with the adults – we dialogue with them, teach them some skills, arrange some material help for them as for example clothes, furniture, etc.

70 % of the activities of this project are financed with the budget of the city of Nitra. At this time a Community plan of social services in Nitra, for the time of 2010-2013 (two thausend ten ..), is being finalized. Our sisters also participated in the preparation of this plan, representing the settlement Orechov Dvor, presenting the needs of its complex development. We also cooperate with the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra. According to a contract between the University and our Missionary Congregation, we arrange for the students of the Faculty of Social Science possibilities to have a practicum in the settlement with gipsies. The University in turn offers us a possibility of supervision and specific counselling. For next year we also plan a closer collaboration with our bishops and so carrying out the pastoral plan of the Bishops´ Conference, as well as networking with other organizations, communities and individuals who minister to gipsies in the district of Nitra.

Apart from Nitra, also our sisters in Kežmarok (near High Tatra) visit once or twice a week Roma children and youth in the village Stráne and Rakúsy, where there are living around 1000 (thausend) Roma people.

They speak with them about different topics, prepare the Sunday Eucharist and play with them. The same they do

The regular visits gradually show the fruits, and sisters are happy to see the children relating well with, and respecting each other.

In the community in Zlaté Moravce, one sister works as the assistant of the teacher in the primary school for mentally handicapped children, of which the majority are Roma children. She also teaches religion in the same school.

Beside the apostolate among Roma people sisters work also with some other marginalized groups in our country. These are the following:

 Women in prison: four sisters of the community Ivanka pri Nitre visit every Sunday and feast the women prison, and in the collaboration with the chaplain for prisoners they prepare the Sunday Eucharist together with the women, give them catechesis or spend time listening to their stories;
 Socially weak mothers with children: once a week the novices with their directress spend time with the mothers and children of the Institute for single mothers with children in Nitra (at present there are 25 mothers with children there);
 Sexually abused women: every two months one sister in collaboration with an MSC missionary in Nitra organize a weekend meeting for sexually abused women;
 Alcoholics and drug addicts: two sisters – one in Pereš (near Nitra) and one in Choryne (Czech Republic) participate in the weekly meetings of alcohol and drug addicts, mostly listening to their stories and encouraging them on their way of recovery;
 Children and youth: sisters of all seven communities of our province have regular meetings with children and youth, according to their possibilities. In some places they have regular catechesis with them, they meet on various occasions, in other places they teach religion, or meet with the students in the University pastoral centre, in collaboration with the SVD they organize so called Mission holidays, fostering in children and young people the missionary spirit as well as the sense of social justice based on Christian love.
 Old people living in hospices, hospitals or lonely in their houses are often marginalized too, experiencing in one or the other way not only loneliness, but social injustice as well. Our sisters in Kelč, Kežmarok, Ivanka and Budapest contribute through their services to a dignified and valuable life of these people. Even some elderly sisters of the community in Ivanka visit the old and lonely people in the village or in the social institutes in Nitra. Their visits are signs of real interest in the stories, worries and struggles of these people, which the sisters bring in their prayers.
 Holy Spirit Missionary Association: meetings with the members of this Association give also space for deepening the social awareness of the members.

Wherever we move, we can see the poverty and injustice. – on the pathways of our towns and villages. Everywhere we meet people who are hungry not only for bread but also for attention and love. May also this Year of Battle against Poverty and Social Exclusion help us see the reality of our surrounding, courageously fight against the causes of injustice and take the responsibility for our own freedom in relation to the entire human family.


Sr. Pia, Ľubomíra Michalicová SSpS (JPIC coordinator)

Ivanka pri Nitre, 13.10. 2010