On 9th July 1918 Mother Baptista Simons was born as Maria Simons in the family of Baptist Simons and Cornelia Cox as the second child of 9 children, in Maasniel city of Roermond, situated in the Netherlands. She grew up in a beautiful atmosphere, where she learned all the Christian values, especially the value of prayer and charity.  She did her schooling, college in her home town; she was qualified as a shorthand and typist and took up a job and the responsibility in taking care of her younger brothers and sisters ​.In the Parish she  was very active in youth activities and very soon became a member and a leader in a Catholic youth organization at both the junior and senior levels. As a member of the Mission Committee, her interest was enkindled with the foreign Missions, particularly with the Congregation of White Sisters of Lavigerie, who were working in Africa. As the year went by, her interest, strengthened and supported by prayer and the apostolic works she was engaged to help others, led to the conviction that was calling her to follow Him more closely by offering herself for the work in the foreign Mission. Initially she was drawn towards the Congregation of White Sisters of Lavigerie, but at the same time the presence of two Sisters, Servant of the Holy Spirit (Steyler Mission Schwestern) in the Catholic youth Organization, were a powerful Missionary Sisters, their enthusiastic work, great love for the Church led her to ask for admission in Baexem, the Dutch Province. She felt the call through word of God (Jer: 1: 5) “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you.appointed you a prophet to the nation.” Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and the Lord said to me, “behold I have put my words in your mouth. (Jer: 1:10) “see, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant”.When she spoke with her parents about her wish to join the congregation of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit, her father advised her against entering. He told her that she would have to wait till 21st birthday. He had hoped that his daughter  would change her mind. (He arranged meetings with boys and sent his daughter ice skating, always in the hope that his daughter would meet a nice young man.) But he also knew his daughter’s strong will, her desire to belong forever to the Lord was stronger than her father’s wishes. After three years he accepted his daughter’s wish and released her for God.First she wanted to enter in the White Sisters of Lavigeri, but her confessor refused because that was a French Congregation. Then she wanted to join the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit but he refused again, now it was a German Congregation, but then she told him, that she would be going. Along with her parents she went to Baexem to ask for admission, they got the form and the entrance day was 17. 10. 1939.But on 1st September 1939 Hitler invaded The Netherlands. Her father did not want her to join the convent, since war had broken out again to Baexem, but Mother Provincial Avelina told her father that the aspirants could come, if they wish to do so. Father tried to talk with  her, but in vain. she wanted to join. On 17th October 1939, the feast day of St. Margaret Mary she joined the congregation of the “Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit” in Baexem, the Netherlands. On 2nd July 1942  her  dream became reality,  she is known in the congregation as Sr. Baptista Simons. On 2nd July 1948 made her final vows. She endured all the difficulties with patience and endurance looking forward to the time when she would be Missionary to another land where she would be able to work among the poor and underprivileged. She was a blessing for Indore and for all of us.Mission appointment for China, she accepted her appointment with gratitude and enthusiasm for she would put to use all the past experiences gained in order to be able to help the people of God in her new mission land. On 30th October 1949 together with nine other sisters, she received her mission Cross. Then word came that China would not allow enter to new missionaries because of the communists.Her disappointment was deep, but accepting it as the will of God, she spent the next four years in teaching and giving classes in home science subject to the students of the primary school. In August 1950 re-appointment for mission, but now for Manila in the Philippines, again, this appointment was also cancelled, next went to Timore, she had got appointment for Africa too. Sr. Baptista began to wonder what God was asking of her.Then finally in June 1951 got appointment for India. She was overjoyed and again she put all her efforts preparing to go to her new assignment, collected many things for a home science college in India, preparation for obtaining the necessary papers and visa were applied for, but again, disappointment followed. No papers were forthcoming. After a year of waiting the news came that the Visa for India was refused. After much prayer, and a further trial of waiting, on May 25, 1953 the Visa was finally granted - exactly, 23 months after applying for it! Her patience has its rewards!Now everything was set quickly in motion to get passage on the first available ship from Venice to Mumbai. On June 18, 1953 along with two sisters, travelled via Rome-Venice to Mumbai on Danish boat with much cargo and some passengers. While travelling to India she practiced the whole day the letters of the Hindi alphabets, because in Indore the Hindi language was mostly spoken. On her 35th birthday July 9, 1953 the boat arrived in Mumbai in the evening, two priests came to take them,next day on 10th July they started their train journey to Indore. First they went to a market with everything in scorching heat, they had to buy only fruits for the night journey. 2 fathers and 2 sisters each with 2 paper bags full of fruits banana, oranges, mangoes, chickoo, it looked like a procession, one after the other 2 fathers, two sisters and herself. Four went ahead, a few shabby dressed small boys and girls put their small hands out for a fruit. She could not refused, the other four were waiting at the entrance and made big eyes when they saw her with no fruits. All given to the small ones, what a misery and how sad to see these little ones. In the train she could not sleep.Next day on 11th July in Khandwa was another misery, with sick people in the sisters’ clinic, mother with sick children. She could not believe her eyes. One baby was dying, she baptized her and a few minutes she dead, and  day  was the birthday of her mother. This was a great experience for her, many times in her Indian life she experienced the help of her mother.July 12, 1953 to Indore, Madhya Pradesh in heavy rain they arrived, in the community they were with 6 nationalities, America, England, Germany, Austria, Philippines, and Netherlands.She came to India with the specific object of starting the New Home Science Department at St. Raphael’s School Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She was told, while Netherlands, that there were many girls who wanted Home Science subject, it turned out to be wishful thinking, there were no girls in St. Raphael’s Intermediate School who wanted Home Science.She started with hygiene and religious classes in middle and High School. The girls did not know much English and   Hindi too.A “Home Science College” started; the first students were Marie Jaronie, Marie Daniells, Sushila Holker of Lalbagh, Kausialja, a Mohammedan Princess Kusum Patlia, wife of late padre Patlia.Although she was fully occupied during school hours, determined to give  her free time to doing something to alleviate the misery and deprivation of the people constantly coming  for help.​

In 1959 Mother Josapha arrived from Australia and helped with the work.

Mother Josapha was born on 27th May 1932 to Francis Frank and Dorothia in Australia. She had only one brother, John. She was impressed by religious sisters from her childhood. She was interested to become a sister one day, but at the age of 12, she lost her father, the pillar of the family, now there was a question of livelihood. Who will look after the family? She had to drop out from school and to go in search of a work, she got a job and started earning, but the desire to become a religious was not diminished. Her father was a carpenter. In his electronic box he had kept St. Damian’s story book. She happened to find the book and started reading it very carefully, with much interest. And from then onwards her desire to become a sister and to serve the lepers as St. Damian grew stronger day by day.​

When she was 17-18 year old, she used to go to an orphanage every Friday and used to teach hymns, play games with the children, tell the stories and take care of them happily, sister were well pleased with her. She wished to join convent but she was only 7th passed. She went to ask to the Missionary Sisters Servant of the Holy Spirit and she was accepted, she joined in 1952, made her first promise on 6th January 1959 and final on 6th January 1962.​

In 1959 she received her mission appointment to India, she was overjoyed at being sent, but as her plane left Darwin flying off into the setting sun and the coastland of Australia dropped away behind her, her heart experienced the pain of separation, for in those days, there was no thought of ever returning. India was to become her future home.​

She expected jungles, lions, tigers, and elephants to be everyday events and was not prepared for the destiny of people, the congested slums, the tragedy of begging, street children, lack of essential amenities, all kinds of sicknesses, leprosy being one of them. Looking at all of these from distance was a daunting prospect and it was only when she could leave herself and her preconceived images behind and come to the level of the actualities could she begin to function and know that India may not need her, but she needs to India. As far as was possible, within the limits of being a religious person, living in a religious institution, she made India her home, and its people, her people and feels privileged to have spent 40 years imbibing its spirit, its immensity, its beauty, its greatness. She finds that India has not taken from her anything, rather it has given to her.​

Over the years she had been rather closely involved with many projects for the uplifting of women, teaching them various arts and crafts so that they might be able to earn more to supplement their family incomes- that their families might have chance of coming above the poverty line, that their children might be educated, that the health of the families might be better, that they might come to know what it means to be treated as a person, as an equal.​

Not being in actual school or hospital environments, left her somewhat free to be with the people at a different level, in their homes, in their places of work. She became a confident of their joys and sorrows, of their wishes and desires. She helped to deliver their babies and bury their dead- literally. Her vehicle was  ambulance . She learnt to leave out the connotation of street child, prostitute, orphan and leper to reach toward the person underneath. They became her people, friends, relatives, and children. After 40 years spent in her adopted land of India, on November 13, 1999, she returned to her homeland, Australia. She is still rendering her services to the women.                                                                                  

OUR INSPIRATION

 Saint Joseph Sevika Sanstha very heavily draws its inspiration from its Foundress Mother Baptista Simons SSpS and from its Co-founderss Mother Josapha SSpS. Mother Baptista Simons SSpS Most Rev. Mother Baptista Simons (1918-2009) was a Dutch missionary nun from Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) religious order. She founded the Congregation of Sant Joseph Sevika Sanstha headquartered in Indore (India) on 13th of January 1965. The prime objective of Sant Joseph Sevika sisters is to move out into the society in loving service towards all, especially the poor and less privileged. The mission of S.J.S had its humble beginnings in Indore and has grown to a stage where it has its presence in more than a dozen dioceses of India.​​

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