We join with our brothers and sisters in celebrating Dia de los Muertos with our altars as we memorialize the lives of those who have passed “to the other side.”

Sister Edith Schneider, a member of the U.S. Province who helped found the mission in Mexico in 1988, Sister Silveria Rodriguez Felix, a member of the PHJC Mexico Region, and Andrew Jennings, the Director of Liturgy and Music, have joined together to celebrate the rich tradition of this sacred day with our special Altars.

In both the Ancilla Domini Chapel and the Catherine Kasper Convent, they assembled ofrendas, traditional displays that feature the pictures and names of PHJC Sisters, family members, and friends who have gone before us.

The ofrenda has its origins in indigenous tradition and was later adopted by Christians. They usually feature water, fruit, and other foods favored by the dearly departed, as a way of communing with them.

May the souls of the departed find eternal rest.

Nos unimos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas en la celebración del Día de los Muertos con nuestros altares, recordando la vida de quienes han partido “al otro lado.”

La Hermana Edith Schneider, miembro de la Provincia de Estados Unidos y cofundadora de la misión en México en 1988; la Hermana Silveria Rodríguez Félix, miembro de la Región México de las Hermanas Siervas Pobres de Jesucristo (SPJc); y Andrew Jennings, director de Liturgia y Música, se han unido para celebrar la rica tradición de este día sagrado con nuestros altares especiales.

Tanto en la Capilla Ancilla Domini como en el Convento Catherine Kasper, prepararon ofrendas: ofrendas tradicionales que incluyen fotografías y nombres de las Hermanas de las SPJc, familiares y amistades que nos han precedido.

La ofrenda tiene su origen en la tradición indígena y fue adoptada posteriormente por los cristianos. Generalmente incluye agua, frutas y otros alimentos que gustaban a los difuntos, como una forma de conectar con ellos.

Que las almas de los difuntos encuentren el descanso eterno.

More than 100 Sisters, Maria Center residents, coworkers, and friends gathered on July 28, 2025, to celebrate a land acknowledgment, blessing, and groundbreaking for the newly expanded Catherine’s Cottage—a future residence for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC).

Following a period of discernment, the Sisters made the thoughtful decision to create a space that honors and supports members of the congregation as they age. The new Catherine’s Cottage will provide a welcoming, purpose-built home that reflects the values of care, dignity, and community.

Sister Shirley Bell, PHJC, United States Province Leader, welcomed guests and emphasized the importance of planning for a long, healthy future rooted in faith and compassion. “The groundbreaking of this addition to Catherine’s Cottage is more than the beginning of a building,” It’s a continuation of a mission that began with Saint Katherina Kasper, our foundress, who followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit with courage, simplicity, and unwavering faith. Catherine’s Cottage addition is being built to provide a home where we Sisters can continue to live the gospel and share our lives in service to others through prayer, presence, and ministry.”

Sister Marybeth Martin, PHJC led a moving land acknowledgment and blessing, inviting all present to remember that the community lives, works, and shares space on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Peoria, Bodwéwadmi (Potawatomi), Kaskaskia, Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), and Myaamia (Miami) peoples—whose deep connection to the land and waters endures through time.

As part of the ceremony, Rev. Thaddeus Balinda blessed the ground with holy water, transforming the site into sacred space. Attendees were invited to join in the blessing, sprinkling holy water not only on the construction site but also among one another, symbolizing shared hope and unity.

The ceremonial first shoveling brought together PHJC Sisters, Maria Center residents, coworkers, friends, and representatives from DJ Construction, the firm overseeing the project. Each participant took part using gold shovels, marking the beginning of this meaningful endeavor.

A special moment in the ceremony featured Sister Jolise May, PHJC, who used a historic shovel that had previously broken ground in Donaldson—first in 1968 for the groundbreaking of Catherine Kasper Home, then again in 2010 for MoonTree Studios, and now once more for Catherine’s Cottage.

With hearts full of sorrow and gratitude, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ join the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and our global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis.

We join with the rest of the world in remembering Pope Francis. We are grateful for the Gospel witness Pope Francis has been in our world and our church. He challenged all of us to live in a way that cares for Earth and for the most vulnerable in our world. We pray that we will follow the example of Pope Francis to live deeply from a prayerful place that reaches out in compassion and works for justice. We pray that our church may embody the way of synodality that Pope Francis led. 

Pope Francis leaves us a legacy of hope and prophetic witness. We give thanks for his life, his leadership, and his unwavering vision of a welcoming Church — one that, in his words, is a true “field hospital.”

May his soul rest in the eternal peace of Christ, whom he served so faithfully.

In communion and prayer,

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ

LCWR Mourns the Death of Pope Francis

Monday 4-21-2025

With great sadness, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, mourn the passing of Pope Francis. His character, warmth, and deep humility, as well as the numerous contributions he has made throughout his papacy have made an enormous impact on the world, the Catholic Church, and on our lives personally. 

We have been inspired by the manner in which the pope exercised leadership. He embodied the values that he held throughout his priesthood: that people who are hurting and in need must be given our highest priority, that leaders must spend time on the margins listening to those whose perspectives may differ from their own, and that we must be fearless in speaking out in the face of all that goes against gospel teachings. 

We admire Pope Francis’ approach to his mission. An excellent communicator, he was able to share his vision for the church and for the world and engage others in the work to bring the vision to reality. He consistently sought the counsel of advisors from around the world and had the skills to build coalitions to take on the work to reform what needed urgent change. This was seen most dramatically in the way he shaped and led the 2024 Synod on Synodality that emphasized the essential role of the inclusion of all voices, communal discernment, and collaboration.

Pope Francis led from a place of both simplicity and savvy. An astute moral leader, he knew how to use his influence to bring about change and was fearless in speaking out publicly even when he knew there would be resistance to his message. He tirelessly took on the mission of loving the whole world – making difficult journeys to remote areas of many nations; visiting migrant camps, hospitals, prisons, and shelters; and most recently, maintaining daily contact with a parish in Gaza. He generously carried in his heart and prayer every bit of the suffering to which he was exposed. He gave to the world a public face of a church that was welcoming and inclusive – a church that strove to be a true “field hospital.” 

Pope Francis embraced his role as a global leader and used his influence to impact all people, not only Catholics. His work to confront climate change, income inequality, and many other social injustices will live on. His encyclicals, particularly Dilexit nos, Fratelli tutti, and Laudato si’ as well as his apostolic exhortations such as Laudate Deum, Gaudate et exsultate, and Evangelii Gaudium, will remain important texts that will guide our thinking and prayer for many years to come. 

With the world, we offer our prayer of gratitude for Pope Francis, a man who fully embodied the life and message of Jesus Christ and gave of his all to bringing about the Reign of God on this earth. 

Contact: Sister Annmarie Sanders, IHM
LCWR Director of Communications
asanders@lcwr.org
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