She was the first one to arrive, and she is still here. Party? No.

Sr. Maria Helene Fritzenwanker CPS, from Austria, came to Rome in1969 to help in making the newly built Generalate of the Missionaries of Mariannhill habitable, before they moved from Mönchsdeggingen, Germany, to Rome.

And she remained and one cannot imagine the place without her. We waited until the last day of the year to properly celebrate this during a festive lunch and to let her know and feel how much we appreciate and need her.

Forty years of conscientious and untiring service for our two communities, the Missionaries of Mariannhill and the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood. General Governments changed five times since the Beginning, and Sr. Helene survived them all. Even today, she still does the whole laundry for our two communities and our many guests. She is balancing her work "in the cellar" with almost daily work in our flower-garden, to provide for almost the whole year the flowers for our chapel and other rooms.