Who We Are
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”Luke 1:38
Our Charism
As Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus (Ancilla Cordis Jesu), we live in imitation of Mary in serving as spiritual mothers in the Diocesan Church.
There are four primary aspects of our Charism:
Marian. Eucharistic. Diocesan. Evangelistic.
Marian
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
- Luke 1:46-47
As brides of Christ, we imitate Mary, who at the foot of the Cross received the love of the Bridegroom poured out for His Bride, the Church.
Eucharistic
“By its very nature, the eucharist is at the center of the consecrated life.” -
Pope Saint John Paul II
Because we have experienced the liturgy as a place of intimacy with the Lord, we desire to bring others to encounter this same love in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
Diocesan
“It is necessary that … all rediscover the true meaning of the parish, that is, the place where the very mystery of the Church is present and at work.”
- Pope Saint John Paul II
Our sisters provide a stable presence of spiritual motherhood in the local Church in which our feminine consecrated life complements the diocesan priesthood.
Evangelistic
“What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you.”
-1 John 1:2
Having experienced the fullness of life in God through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we desire to bring everyone we meet into a deep and personal relationship with God, in Whom all find their true home.
“Like the eyes of a maid are on the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the Lord our God.” Psalm 123:2
History
Mother Mary Clare started the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus after receiving the founding grace in December of 2006. Through this grace, she was inspired to help answer the need for a feminine consecrated presence in the diocesan life of the Church.
The Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus were formally established on March 24th 2010, in the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota, by Bishop John LeVoir.
“Religious communities, who by their life proclaim the joy of ... Christian fraternity, speak to our society about the transforming power of the Good News.” Pope Saint John Paul II
Community Life
Christ lived a deep fraternal charity with his apostles, bringing them together as friends and brothers. Our community life is marked by this same familial spirit of deep sisterhood, which enriches the life of the Church in showing forth its true identity as a family united in the love of the Holy Trinity.
BACK ROW: Sr. Maria Luz, Mother Mary Clare, Sr. Maria Caeli
2ND: Sr. Margaret Joy, Sr. Thérèse Marie, Sr. Anna, Sr. Cora Marie
3RD - Sr. Catarina, Sr. Maria Bethany, Sr. Bernadette, Sr. Veronica, Sr. Magnificat
4TH - Sr. Agnes, Sr. Beata, Sr. Mary Elizabeth, Sr. Teresa Rose, Sr. Cecilia, Sr. Annunciata
5TH - Sr. Elizabeth Ann, Sr. Mary Pieta, Sr. Christina, Sr. Francesca, Sr. Mary Ann, Sr. Lucy, Sr. Lily Rose, Sr. Ancilla Joy
FRONT - Sr. Magdalena, Sr. Mary Joseph, Morgan, Ashley, Grace, Eva, Lexi, Sr. Mary Angela, Sr. Angelica, Sr. Regina Marie
What We Do
Learn more about our apostolates.