Mother Maria de Anima Christi was born in Terneuzen. Shortly after finishing her studies in art history she entered the Institute “Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara” (SSVM) This Religious Institute was founded in 1988 in Argentina by Fr. Carlos Miguel Buela. It is the female branch of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word. Since the 13th of July, 1998, Sr. Maria Anima Christi has been the general superior of the Institute. Under her leadership the Institute has grown to have more than 1100 sisters who are spread throughout 35 countries. The sisters have orphanages, schools, elderly homes, homes for handicapped and single mothers; they assist at hospitals, and help at places of pilgrimage and parishes. They also have a contemplative branch, with sisters who in silent prayer are withdrawn in the cloister, pray for all the needs of humanity. As general superior Mother Anima travels five months per year around the world to visit different missions. Every three weeks she writes a column in the Katholiek Nieuwsblad (The Catholic Newspaper in the Netherlands) in which she writes about her sisters’ life experiences in in a lively manner. There is a large amount of these columns printed in two books Zaden van het Woord, in English ‘Seeds of the Word’ (2011) and Sporen van liefde (2013) in English ‘Traces of Love’.