On Saturday, November 15, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC) welcomed over 400 guests to the stunning Ancilla Domini Chapel for a performance of George Frideric Handel’s 1741 oratorio Messiah. The event featured conductor Andrew Jennings, Director of Liturgy and Music for PHJC, leading the Ancilla Domini Community Choir and Orchestra in a breathtaking interpretation of this timeless masterpiece.

The Messiah Concert, a free-to-attend bi-annual tradition, continues to be a cherished event for residents across Northern Indiana.

“It’s become a tradition for people to bring their families and friends,” Jennings shared. “It offers people the chance to step away from the busyness of life and experience something that might change how they view classical music. Even if they don’t speak to the person next to them, everyone is there for the same purpose. That shared experience helps form community, and I find that beautiful.”

The evening began with a VIP dinner featuring roast pork, roast chicken, pasta, vegetables, and cheesecake for dessert. The VIP guests were then ushered to their preferred seats in the chapel to await the concert. After Jennings’ opening remarks, the choir and orchestra performed 27 of Messiah’s 53 movements.

The performance showcased the talents of soprano Jessica McCormack, countertenor Joshua Boggs, tenor JR Fralick, and baritone Stephen Lancaster.

Jennings expressed gratitude to the event’s patron sponsors, including Nancy and Scot McKinnis, Taylor and Boody Organ Builders, Marian University, Rink Printing Company, Beacon Credit Union, and Split Road Media.

“I would like to thank, not only the Poor Handmaids, but also the sponsors who helped make this event possible,” Jennings said. “It’s very important to us to offer these concerts for free. We would never want a financial barrier to prevent someone from experiencing something like the Messiah Concert.”

The evening concluded with a warm reception in the Cenacle Dining Room, leaving attendees with a sense of joy, community, and appreciation for the beauty of sacred music.

Congratulations to the newly installed U.S. Province Leadership team!  

Installed today, this new team will guide the spiritual and ministry life of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ community. 

We joyfully celebrate the new team: 

• Sister Shirley Bell, PHJC, Province Leader
• Sister Deborah Davis, PHJC, Vicaress   
• Sister Marybeth Martin, PHJC, Councilor 
• Sister Connie Bach PHJC, Councilor 
• Sister Margaret Ann Henss, PHJC, Councilor 
   

Please join us in celebrating them and holding them in your prayers as they begin this sacred journey of leadership. 

Thursday, December 12, 2025
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
9601 N Union Rd
Plymouth, IN 46563

Step into the joy and wonder of the season at our annual Christmas at the Center celebration. Families, friends, and neighbors are invited to gather for an evening filled with warmth, laughter, and simple holiday magic.

Celebrate With Us

Enjoy festive activities for all ages, including:

• Photos with Santa
• Cookie Decorating
• Face Painting
• Holiday Crafts
• And more!

Whether you’re creating memories with little ones or simply embracing the spirit of Advent, this evening offers a welcoming space to pause, reconnect, and delight in the beauty of community.

All Are Welcome

This event is free and open to the public. Come share in the lights, the music, and the joy that fills the Center each December. We look forward to celebrating with you.

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and Dustin’s Place is hosting a Blue Christmas Service on Tuesday, December 9^th at 5pm ET. This service is a gentle and contemplative time to be together and there will be refreshments afterward.

The holidays can be a difficult time for some in our community. Some come because they are mourning the death of a loved one. Some are far from home. Some suffer from illness, addiction, or estrangement. Some are lonely, struggling financially, or in conflict with another. Some hurt because of the great pain, need, and violence in our nation and world. The reasons for coming are many. This is a night to hold our grief collectively.

For more information, please contact Justine Johnson, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at jjohnson@poorhandmaids.org or 574-936-9936 ext. 786.

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.