Place of silence where Presidents find solace.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Leo Magno, Infotech Section Editor

THEY are seldom seen and seldom heard but even the most powerful people in the country seek guidance and prayer assistance from the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters.

The Pink Sisters-so-called because of the rose-colored habit they wear- lead a life of seclusion bound by the rule of silence. They live in a cloistered community and follow their ecclesiastical role of perpetual adoration by praying to the Blessed Sacrament 24 hours a day.

The sisters leave their enclosure only for legitimate reasons such as for medical treatment. They can be seen at the convent only through iron grilles, and their harmonious voices heard when they sing hymns of adoration at the chapel.

"We have a contemplative life. It is a life of withdrawal from the world, but this does not mean we are not in the world. We're so much in the world but not of the world because we believe in a hidden life of prayer and penance," said Sister Mary Germinigildis, Superior at St. Joseph's Convent of Perpetual Adoration in New Manila, one of six houses of the Pink Sisters in the Philippines.

As much as the Pink Sisters are in the world, they are on the World Wide Web. They have a web site at http://www.adorationsisters.org/index.html containing the history of the order and answers to frequently asked questions. Site visitors can fill up a form in the prayer request page.