With hearts full of gratitude and joy, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ celebrate our 2025 Jubilarians—seven extraordinary Sisters who mark 50, 60, and 70 years of vowed religious life. Their lives have been a testament to our charism, lived out in classrooms, clinics, neighborhoods, and parishes across the globe.

Each Sister has offered a reflection in her own voice, sharing the wisdom and wonder of a life rooted in God’s call and sustained by community. Their stories are full of love, resilience, and faith in action.

Stay tuned for the next issue of Word Gathering.

In our life as Poor Handmaids, we often say that formation never ends—it simply evolves. Religious life is a continuous unfolding, marked by lessons that deepen with time and the Spirit’s guidance. The Life panelists in this Global Sisters Report piece share candid reflections on the wisdom they have gained—wisdom they wish they had embraced earlier. Their words echo the humility and truth we know so well in community: that learning to love, to listen, and to let go are graces that come not all at once, but slowly and with intention.

Saint Katharina Kasper reminds us, “Go onward quietly and do what is right, simply and humbly.” These words remain a guidepost for all who continue to be transformed through religious life.

As Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, we hold dear the sacred beginnings of our journey into vowed religious life. Those early days of formation remain etched in our memory, not just as a season of discernment and growth, but as a deep encounter with God, community, and the call to serve. In this month’s Global Sisters Report, The Life panelists offer beautiful glimpses into their novitiate experiences, capturing the blend of vulnerability, joy, and sacred tension that shapes so many of our own stories. Their reflections invite us all to remember our first “yes” and the grace that carried us through it.

Saint Katharina Kasper once said, “The dear God always shows us what we are to do, if we only pay attention.” These stories call us back to that attentive listening that guided our earliest steps in community.

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The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ participated in the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge for Black History Month 2025. This initiative, created by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr. and Dr. Debbie Irving, aims to deepen understanding of racism and systemic oppression through daily prompts and reflections. Why 21 days? Research shows that it takes at least 21 days to build a positive habit.

By engaging in this challenge, the Poor Handmaids seek to further their commitment to anti-racism work and foster a more just and equitable society. As one Sister wrote in her reflection, “I found a deeper awareness of those around me. I find myself becoming more attentive in conversations. I really hear what someone is saying. I’m better at seeing covert ways racism is still occurring today.”

This was a specifically curated challenge for the Sisters through a collaborative effort with the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Office of Racial Equity and Cultural Inclusion and the Poor Handmaids Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.