Madison WI: Ogden Utah: Milwaukee WI: Chicago IL: Boston MA: Atlanta GA: Dolan Springs AZ: and Sarasota FL.
“Have you heard of Sister Stella-Maris?” Dr. (Mrs) Veronica Onianwa asked us. “Sister who?” we replied. “Sister Stella-Maris, Star of the Sea, she is the Mother Teresa of Nigeria,” explained Veronica. “She feeds destitute children and homeless people.”
This conversation took place on December 12, 2000, outside Cleveland, Ohio, USA. We had travelled on a pilgrimage together with Veronica’s brother, Father Patrick Isichei, to visit and pray at Maranatha Springs, a holy shrine of our Blessed Mother Mary. We had no idea that it was God’s will that less than a year later, Father Patrick would arrange for Sister Stella-Maris to fly to Flint, Michigan, USA, where we would meet her in late October, 2001.
At our first meeting, she greeted us with a big smile full of love and kindness. We would see that smile often as she continued to do God’s work for the next six weeks in Madison, Wisconsin, Las Vegas, Nevada, Chicago, Illinois, and Bloomington, Indiana.
In Madison, Sr. Stella spoke to prayer groups, in churches and private residences about what Pro Labore Dei is and does. Many came to hear her message and, thanks to God, many experienced physical and spiritual healings. Sister established a Pro Labore Dei Support Group in Madison that meets on the first Tuesday of each month. We pray, sang, read scripture passages and meditate. We also discuss how we can help Pro Labore Dei in the future. In Las Vegas, an active Pro Labore Dei Centre and Support Group were formed.
Sr. Stella-Maris comes to the US almost every year to teach the members and foster growth of the Pro Labore Dei Apostolate. By 2003, the two support groups had become branches and were feeding homeless people in their respective cities. In that same year, three Pro Labore Dei (PLD) members form the US travelled to Nigeria and visited the PLD Headquarters in Ibadan and many of the branches in other Nigerian cities.
Gradually, additional PLD branches have been established in Ogden, Utah, Milwaukee, WI, Chicago, IL, Boston, MA, Atlanta, GA, Dolan Springs, AZ and Sarasota FL. In each of these locations, feeding programs have been set up for the hungry and usually, clothing items are distributed also. Members of PLD Madison branch helped to establish branches in Ecuador and in the Philippines. There are currently three PLD houses and two chapels in the United States.
We give thanks to God that eight PLD branches are now feeding His people in need in our country and we hope to establish more branches here in America in the future.
We are a charitable, non-profit organization and would very much appreciate receiving your tax-deductible donation to help us continue doing God’s labour in the US.
For more information about setting up a PLD branch in your US city or making a donation, please contact Jim, PLD-US coordinator in Madison via info@prolaboredei.org or www.prolaboredei.org.
