By: Maxwell Barath and Garrett Spoor,
GreatNews.Life New Media Journalists

The Maria Center, an independent living community sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, put together a special event for residents to eat, mingle, and bring their families together on Saturday, May 9. Since this event took place the day before Mother’s Day, it served as a perfect opportunity for guests to celebrate their mothers and beloved mother figures. 

Residents, families, friends and community members gathered together for the Maria Center’s High Tea celebration, an event that is centered around fellowship, tradition, and community. The Maria Center’s High Tea is similar to ones frequently seen in 19th century Britain. Maria Center residents and other guests donned formal outfits and regal hats, while dining on traditional high tea refreshments such as scones and gourmet teas.

While this is still a fairly new event, it has seen explosive growth in such a short time. Sister Shirley Bell is thrilled with how the event has continued to garner more attention over the years.

“When we began, it was much smaller. It was just a little activity with our residents. Today we’ve sold out; we’re at capacity here,” Sister Shirley said.

Additionally, this event comes the day before Mother’s Day. Sister Shirley believes this offers a great opportunity for families to come celebrate together on such a special weekend.

The Maria Center prioritizes bringing together community-oriented events that can welcome people of all ages to see what the space has to offer.

“We’re all about fostering a community here,” Sister Shirley said. “With the Sisters, our residents, and the co-workers, we really try to create that kind of atmosphere. This event is just one way to spark another possibility. Some of our co-workers volunteered to be servers. Our staff, our communications and development department – everyone has hands on deck to help in any way they can.”

Another special element to the Maria Center’s High Tea celebration this year was a presentation that focused on the history and roots of tea.

This event, which also acts as a fundraiser, was supported by plenty of sponsors and local community members. Tiffany Hardy, Executive Director of the Maria Center, noted that all donations and contributions from the event, including money spent on the High Tea’s raffle tickets, went towards the Maria Center’s residents.

“This supports their greatest needs, which includes medical transportation to and from appointments, and also weekly transportation for events. It really helps to offset their bills,” Tiffany said. “We have what are called ‘Turtle Tapper Trips,’ so they get to go on monthly trips out to different places. We’ve gone as far as Merrillville, and we’re getting ready to go to Michigan soon.”

Residents of the Maria Center play an important role in this event beyond being participants; several of them have volunteered to assist the High Tea’s production in unique ways.

“We did have some residents who assisted us with making the scones. One resident volunteered to transport people back and forth from the event on a golf cart. I’ve had multiple residents contribute donations to help support it. They may not be attending the event, but they still gave financial support as well,” Tiffany said.

The Maria Center’s High Tea is put together with its residents in mind. It helps bring their families together, gives them an opportunity to socialize, and supports them through fundraising methods such as donations and raffle tickets.

Tiffany and her team work diligently to grow the High Tea every year, with the ultimate goal to build a special experience that further connects people to the campus culture.

“A lot of people don’t know where we are located. They might hear about the Center at Donaldson, or the Maria Center, but they might not have a great idea about what’s actually here,” Tiffany said. “I hope that people will attend the event and see the other ministries that we have on campus and support us in the future. Maybe they will tell their family and friends about the experience they have here, and by next year, hopefully we will have even more people interested in coming to this event.”

May 8, 2027, has already been selected as the date of the next Maria Center High Tea celebration. This falls on the Saturday before Mother’s Day once again.

To learn more about the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and the Maria Center, you can visit poorhandmaids.org.