Inspired by the Holy Spirit while praying in solitude in a rural family home, Father Usera had a dream of founding a religious order. "I will not tire", he said, "until my desire is fulfilled, and for this I will recruit generous souls whose service to God is free; whose only recompense is to be consumed in the Love of God."
The idea of founding the Sisters of the Love of God had begun in the West Indies, where Father Usera spent the last forty years of his life. Deeply moved by the needs he saw in his priestly life in Cuba and Puerto Rico, Father Usera invited young women to dedicate themselves to the education and care of children of the poor, from childhood into adulthood.
With the encouragement and support of Saint Michaela Desmaisieres who personally trained some of the twelve initial postulants of the new Order, Father Usera's dream became reality on April 27, 1864 in Toro, Spain. The charism of the Order is the Love of God. The Love of God is the ultimate reason for embracing religious life. He urged his spiritual daughters to act out of Love of God, all for God and only for God, with nothing for human pretension. "My daughters", he would say, "do not desire to possess any other doctrine than to sacrifice for the Love of God." The energy and fire that drives the sisters and their work is the motto of St. Paul: Charitas Christi Urget Nos, the Love of Christ urges us on!
Father Usera designed a simple coat of arms for his order. It contains the Sacred Heart, a symbol of His love, surmounted by a cross in flames representing the divine love which should burn in every sister's heart. Mary's emblem is in the center of the shield, encircled by the words: "The Love of God makes us wise and holy." The patrons of the Congregation are the Holy Spirit, source of all love, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her advocation of the Immaculate Conception. St. Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and St. Bernard, Abbot, are the Congregation's intercessors.
In their daily lives, Father Usera urged the Sisters of the Love of God to harmoniously combine prayer and action; work and rest; teaching and studying; silence and discourse; simplicity and dexterity. All of these, he reminded the sisters, should be wrapped in a mantle of joy.
Devotion to the Eucharist and to Mary, constitute the pillars of the Order's apostolic spirituality, purified in the love and service of mankind which is to be undertaken with loving and persevering patience. The Sisters of the Love of God lead lives rich in contemplative and liturgical prayer, from which dedication to service emanates. The spirit of the Congregation is a spirit of prayer and sacrifice, of simplicity and of generosity. The Blessed Virgin Mary serves as an inspiring model.
The sisters of the Love of God give themselves to God and to the community,
living a life of fidelity to the Lord through the practice of vows: poverty,
chastity and obedience. They live in small communities of faith and love,
sharing everything: their
prayers, their belongings and their very lives. It is in that setting that
they live out the charism in a spirit of love and generosity.
Father Usera founded the Order primarily to fulfill an educational mission in the world. Their primary work, therefore, is education and evangelization, which is carried out in schools; social centers; homes of children; day care centers; hospitals; nursing homes; ministries for immigrants and in foreign missions. Their work transcends barriers of culture and language. They especially serve the needs of the poor, the oppressed, the alienated and marginalized, just like Our Lord did. The mission of the Sisters of the Love of God is to instill the Love of God into the very fibers of society, irrespective of setting.
Examples of where the sisters work include the following:
The Sisters of the Love of God are missionaries and evangelizers. Father Usera, echoing the words of Our Lord, urged his sisters to "Go throughout the world...and to every person."
Anyone interested in obtaining additional information regarding the Sisters of the Love of God may contact: Sister Milagros Martín, RAD, St. Martha's Convent, 440 Azusa Avenue, La Puente, CA 91744. Tel. (818) 964-1093, fax (818) 965-2967.