The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ continue to serve the Region and uphold their mission

In the 1800s, Saint Katharina Kasper felt called to lend aid to those in need within her village in Dernbach, Germany. As she worked through home nursing, including the care of children when the parents had need, like-minded women gradually began joining her faith-based mission. The first “little house” of prayer and service would open in 1848, where she was joined by her companions.

Following continued growth, St. Katharina and four members of her new congregation became the first Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC) in 1851.

Their mission and numbers grew rapidly. As the Poor Handmaids expanded throughout Germany, the Netherlands, and England, St. Katharina would send members of the congregation wherever there was need; a request for aid would later come from the diocese of Fort Wayne in 1868, as many German immigrants had settled in the area and had nobody to minister to them. 

Eight Sisters were chosen by St. Katharina from among 200 volunteers, and within a year of their arrival, the Sisters were ministering in parish work. They were educating local youth, taking part in home nursing, and continuing childcare work through Angel Guardian Orphanage in Chicago. 

In 1922, the Poor Handmaids constructed a Motherhouse in Donaldson, Indiana, where they remain to this day.

While the PHJC are active in 10 countries, today, there are roughly 60 Sisters throughout their United States province. This includes Chicago, Northwest Indiana, and the Michiana area. The Poor Handmaids remain incredibly active within their communities, particularly in Donaldson. The PHJC Sisters, who are uncloistered, continue to carry out the mission of their foundress, St. Katharina Kasper.

“The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ continue the charism of their foundress through works of charity, education, healthcare, and prayer,” said Anthony Englert, director of the Poor Handmaids’ Office of Communication and Philanthropy Initiatives. “To put their mission in simplest terms, the Sisters serve joyfully, live simply, and listen prayerfully.”

When the Poor Handmaids originally began their ministry work in the Region, Sisters would answer calls from various bishops across the Midwest to come and aid communities. The Sisters would be sent to new dioceses and assist in whatever ways were needed, such as by starting hospitals or orphanages. Moving into new areas also held the benefit of new postulants joining into the Poor Handmaids and helping carry the mission forward.

In other instances, Sisters themselves would see a need and work to fill the gaps. Finding need has been at the heart of what the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ have done for over 175 years.

“30 years ago, several Sisters noticed the lack of services for at-risk women and their children in Gary. They made a request of leadership to begin the ministry that would eventually become Sojourner Truth House, which they staffed themselves,”  Englert said. “Province leadership, a team of Sisters that are elected by the other province members, evaluates these requests and decides if they will move forward with the project. That’s how different PHJC ministries were started.”

Throughout their over 150 year presence in the Region, the Poor Handmaids have always been ready to serve those in need. Initially, most of their work was within hospitals, orphanages, and schools as a primary focus. Yet, as the world began to change, the Sisters shifted focus to other areas of ministry and moved away from larger projects. Instead, they began putting their energy toward smaller-scale efforts.

“The Poor Handmaids had many hospitals, and, when a hospital closed, it gave them an opportunity to invest in new programs. While they may have been smaller than the original hospitals, these new entities were poised to have an even stronger and greater impact,” Englert said. “That’s how their Healthways Alliance ministry began.”

Currently, the Poor Handmaids’ U.S. Province has 10 different ministries within the Region, each created by one or more Sisters within the congregation. Each ministry was formed in hope of better serving the community, whether that be by producing  food at Ancilla Beef & Grain Farm, enabling residents of the Maria Center to age independently in a faith-based community, or offering artistic experiences at MoonTree Studios. The Poor Handmaids have always sought to promote a happy, healthy community in all that they do.

“The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ sponsors numerous ministries, two of which are off-campus. They have a global vision, so it really does go beyond the United States. Their work here is very important,” Englert said.

While the ministries were once fully staffed by Sisters, lay people, individuals who are not members of a religious order or the clergy, are also employed today. Many ministries have lay employees that hold higher positions as well. The Sisters are always looking to the future with discerning eyes and know they need to partner with the laity to continue their mission work.

The PHJC Volunteer Program is an excellent example of this partnership effort. Formed in 2010, the faith-based Volunteer Program serves those who live in vulnerable or marginalized communities. By submitting an application, prospective volunteers have the opportunity to support one of the Poor Handmaids’ ministries. Once an application is submitted, Sister Connie Bach, who is currently heading the program, selects volunteers who can commit to an extended period, some of which are months long. 

She also welcomes single or group volunteers who are looking to volunteer for shorter periods. In this instance, Sr. Connie simply schedules them rather than moving through the complete application process, and her door is always open to those who wish to help.

Sr. Connie works closely with volunteers to schedule them depending not only on their skills and interests, but where they themselves would like to go. Often this will be either at the Motherhouse in Donaldson, or elsewhere, such as the Sojourner Truth House. In some cases, volunteers are sent to one of the other PHJC provinces. In recent years, these have mainly been in Mexico, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Ultimately, PHJC Volunteers seek to spread the Spirit while carrying on St. Katharina’s mission, as she believed that, “Nothing done in God’s name is small; everything done in God’s name is great.”

“As needs arise, the Sisters remain open to exploring new ways to serve the communities where they reside,” said Englert. “They never want to abandon or leave an area where they had served, if they could in some way continue to minister there.”

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ continue to carry their foundress’

 mission on as they work throughout the Region. Each ministry, volunteer, and service spreads their presence within the community. They are here, and they want to help.

To learn more about the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, visit its website at poorhandmaids.org. For more information on its ministries, browse here.