Poor Handmaid Foundress Declared a Saint

Posted on November 1, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI

Blessed Katharina Kasper was canonized on Oct. 14 by Pope Francis in Rome. She is now known as Saint Katharina Kasper. She founded the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in 1851.

Canonization is the act by which the Catholic Church declares a person who has died a saint. Persons named saint are examples of following Christ and are worthy of imitation by the faithful.

According to information released by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, she is known as Catherine Kasper in the U.S. where a facility in Donaldson bears her name. She died on Feb. 2, 1898. Because of her exemplary work with the poor, sick, and the children and her following of the life of Christ, the Catholic Church named her Blessed Katharina Kasper in 1978 until her canonization last month.

A Mass of Thanksgiving to celebrate the canonization of Saint Katharina Kasper will be held in the Ancilla Domini Chapel at The Center of Donaldson on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. ET. A reception will follow in Cana Hall. Everyone is invited to attend.

4/9/2017 Quilt Raffle @ The Center at Donaldson

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Sisters will raffle this quilt off to raise money for the “Caring Place,” a boys school in Kenya, Africa, founded by Sister Germaine Hustedde. The Sisters have put in many hours and a lot of love into this king size quilt, which is on display at the reception desk in the Motherhouse at The Center at Donaldson. The quilt will also be on display Saturday, April 1 at the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry in Plymouth. Tickets are for sale at $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00, and the drawing will take place on April 9, 2017. Please come and support this cause and get your chance to own this beautiful and blessed work of art.

1/25/2017 The Role of Young Adults in Church and Society

Ancilla College welcomes Bishop Kevin Rhodes, the first Lampen Lecture speaker of 2017 to Lindenwood Retreat & Conference Center on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. EST. Bishop Rhodes will discuss The Role of Young Adults in Church and Society. This event is free and open to the public. Please join us. Ancilla College and Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center are a part of The Center at Donaldson, sponsored by The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.

6/4/2016 Mexico Mission Talk & Lunch at the Center at Donaldson

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ welcome home Sister Deborah Davis, PHJC and welcome you and your friends to enjoy a free light lunch, catered by Earthworks, with her at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center. You’ll also enjoy a presentation about the Poor Handmaids Mexico Mission, where Sister Deborah has served for the past 16 years.

Since 1988, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ have worked to bring help, hope and sustainable income to the people of Mexico through their ministries, with the generous support of our donors. In 2000, Sister Deborah joined the Mexico Mission and has worked with women there to produce hand-embroidered greeting cards, which they create and sell to help support their families through fair and sustainable means. These gorgeous treasures will be sold at the event. The PHJC Sisters in Mexico also work to support healthcare, education, have established several children’s soup kitchens and a shelter for those living with HIV-AIDS.

Other opportunities to experience the Poor Handmaids ministries at The Center at Donaldson that day include an exhibit of paintings at MoonTree Studio by Nigerian abstract artist Timothy UfuomaEfe Orikri, tours of Maria Center independent living apartments and the new dining and residence halls at Ancilla College.

Please RSVP to Ruth VanVactor at 574-935-1725 or rvanvactor@poorhandmaids.org by Monday, May 30, 2016.

Tangible Evidence, January 26th - February 24th

Until today you probably weren't aware of MoonTree Studios and Gallery, a ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.  In their own words:

MoonTree Community is a ministry of the Poor Handmaids and is one of several ministries at the PHJC Ministry Center. Its mission is to facilitate the spiritual connection that can be found through art and nature. In the words of MoonTree Elder Sister Mary Baird, MoonTree seeks to bring everyone from seasoned artists and college students to artistic novices and retired seniors together to share their experiences and achieve "a greater learning." The MoonTree Vision Statement attests to this mission: "Through participation in MoonTree experiences, people awaken to their creative potential and sow the seeds for a more mindful, compassionate and sustainable Earth Community." For more information please visit the MoonTree website at www.moontreestudios.org.

MoonTree focuses on the old crafts such as pottery, clay, painting, spinning, weaving, metal work and more, offering a variety of experiences that explore these arts in their most natural form. For example, participants in clay experiences have the opportunity to dig their own clay and form and fire their ceramic creations.

The Gallery is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.; weekends are by appointment only.  

For the next month they will be displaying the work of:

Susan Sutherland Barnes, a ceramic artist who uses clay to build abstract works in nontraditional ways. Barnes’ intricate, colorful glazed pieces are often composed around a single leaf, many with bright mosaic tile details, and even baskets, with woven wicker around the edges.