SW News: Sister Virgula Maria Schmitt, 94, a German-born nun who served in Indonesia, passed away on Monday, June 27, in Steyl in the Netherlands. She belonged to the Congregation for Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) and the cause of her death has not been known yet. Sr Schmitt served the Church in Ruteng diocese on the island of Flores.

The nonagenarian belonging to Grunebach in Germany was a pioneering figure in the St Damian Disability and Leprosy Rehabilitation Center Home and St Raphael Hospital, both of which are located in Ruteng District, Manggarai Regency. She established the latter in 1965, the year she landed in Flores. She also founded the Rehabilitation Center in Binongko, West Manggarai.

She was known among Catholics for her modesty and friendly nature. Other than being just a Nun, sister Virgula was a nurse too. She served thousands of patients, including people with disabilities, orphans, and lepers. During her 49-year stint on Flores, she became fluent in the local language and was well acquainted with the indigenous customs

UCANews quoted Sister Maria Yohana Momas, provincial of West Flores SSpS Sisters, who described her colleague, Virgula, as a strong religious human who overcame various challenges in carrying out her ministry.

In 2016, in an interview promoting a book celebrating the 50th anniversary of St Damian Center, Sister Virgula had said that she simply "does what God wants." Then she even reiterated that “God must be at the center of our lives and work, not on the margins.”