Sister of St. Catherine, Virgin and Martyr –  Sister Abigail Helene of the Trinity, C.S.C. Congregatio Sororum Sanctae Catharinae Virginis et Martyris

Motto:  “As God Wants”  

☩ one of the first apostolic female Orders that did not restrict her to being cloistered, allowing her to leave the convent to serve the community ☩

Foundress:  Blessed Regina Protmann

Place:  Braunsberg, East Prussia; now Braniewo, Poland

Year:  1571 A.D.

Her Charism:  This Sister’s possesses a great pioneer spirit. Her guiding principle is clear: do not flee from the world, but engage it constantly, placing service to the sick and needy above rigid formalities. In this way, she brings God’s love to the seeking and the suffering through both active service to the poor, sick, and uneducated and through intense contemplative prayer and unconditional love for God.  By praying in the truth without ceasing, and serving others through apostolic action and charity, she does God’s Will with joy and readiness.  She balances a “living relationship” with Jesus (her Spouse) with practical service to the poor under the banner of radical poverty and a commitment to following Christ through trust in Divine Providence- most especially in troubled times.  The pillars of her charism are:  a life and mission rooted in radical openness to the Divine Will of God, seeking to serve Christ, Lord and Spouse, “with diligence according to His Divine Counsel.”  As a pioneer in social welfare, she serves the sick in their homes and provides relief for the afflicted, seeing it a a “sacred duty.”  She is extremely dedicated to the education of women, viewing this as acritical form of service to society and the Church.  Her spirituality and fearless commitment to serving the “Christ” in others “prepares the ground for compassionate action” making one capable of shaping history according to God’s Plan.  This Sister is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria (Egypt), a 4th Century martyr, a great intellect, and the patron of teachers and students,  From her example, this Sister too adores Christ in daily life and her own martyrdom (witness) is marked by the immensity of her intense love. She brings the Gospel to daily life and calls us to forgiveness and conversion. ☩ 15 Nuns from this Congregation, were beatified in 2025. They were recognized as martyrs killed by Soviet troops (Red Army) in 1945 during World War II. With profound humility and patience, these Sisters, led by Sister Cristofora (Krzysztofa) Klomfass, chose to stay and care for the sick and the orphans rather than flee the Army and died defending their faith, purity, and dignity. They were subjected to torture, rape, abuse, and beatings for defending their vows. Despite the unimaginable violence they faced, their lives were the ultimate fulfillment of living “as God wants.” ☩

Franciscan Missionary Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary – Sister Miriam Rose, FMCIM

Francescane Missionarie d’Egitto del Cuore Immaculato di Maria

☩ The first female Italian Missionary Congregation in Egypt ☩

Foundress: Blessed Mary Catherine of St. Rose ( Costanza Troiani – the “White Mother” )

Place: Cairo, Egypt

Year: 1868 A.D.

Her Charism: This Sister lives a charism rooted in the Gospel, centered on contemplating Christ and His Mother while engaging in missionary service. She embodies the Franciscan spirit of poverty, simplicity, minority, and intense prayer. “LOVE and SACRIFICE” is the guiding principle of her mission. The Will of God is her perpetual hunger, thirst, and yearning. Her charism is based on the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi and the brilliant vision of her Foundress. Because of her fearlessness and preferential love for the orphaned poor, this Sister’s spirituality also has a Marian dimension. Her life is also deeply connected to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, reflecting her virtues of purity and obedience. Like an expectant mother, she “carries” the Gospel of Jesus, “crucified, naked, and abandoned” on the Cross, and in HIM she is entrusted to “work hard towards the conversion of people beyond the seas.” Deeply committed to the work of evangelization and human development, she serves the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized primarily through her active ministries in education, and health services. Her aim is to provide a joyful and vibrant presence of a loving Jesus and gentle Mary, Star of Evangelization, everywhere she serves – always welcoming the “last of the pilgrims,” upholding the dignity, value, and beauty of all human life, and promoting interfaith dialogue, freedom from all forms of slavery, and peace. ☩ She is often affectionately referred to as the “Franciscan Sister of Egypt.” ☩

Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel –  Sister Hanna Beatrycze, C.S.M.A.                                                                            Congregatio Sancti Michaëlis Archangeli                                                                                                                       “Michaelite Sister”                                                                                                   Mottoes:  “Who is like God?” and  “Work and Temperance”

Founders:  Blessed Father Bronisław Markiewicz, S.D.B.                                                                                           Servant of God, Mother Anna Kaworek

Place:  Miejsce Piastowe, Poland ( near Krosno )

Year:  1897 A.D.

Her Charism:  Love, humility, and self-sacrifice are the trademarks of this angelic Congregation.  As a member, this Sister crucifies her flesh with its passions and desires, and is a messenger (angel) of a loving God who spreads devotion to St. Michael and the Holy Angels.  The Michaelite spirituality is Inspired by the work of St. John Bosco and devotion to St. Michael the Archangel – focusing on defending the Faith and serving the Church universal.  It is a union of the contemplative attitude toward God and pastoral charity for the “little ones” (anawims) of society for whom she offers both material and spiritual sustenance for life.   Rooted also in the Salesian spirit, this Sister’s life is defined and built by two “pillars”:  “Who is like God?” (meaning St. Michael – protector against evil and warrior of justice) and “Temperance and Work” (meaning self-sacrifice and diligence in prayer, Adoration, and fighting for souls).  Following the Divine Voice, her vision is to plant godliness in human beings by bringing God’s Word to people whose courage and intent for self-denial need to be strengthened.  She tries to teach prudence, persistence, and integrity in work and the value and beauty of a life in which God is most important.  This Sister is dedicated to the holistic education, catechesis, care, protection, and evangelization of neglected and abandoned youth for the sake of God’s glory and the salvation of precious souls.  The Son of God is always walking before her lighting her path at every turn.                                                                     ☩ Each piece of her holy habit (wedding garment as a Spouse of Christ) has a special meaning.  The black tunic is her renunciation of the world  – dying to the world – and penance for one’s sins.  It is a humble garment for the poor she serves.  The veil symbolizes her “veiled” and “hidden” life in God with her chastity and beauty reserved for her Divine Spouse, Jesus.  The white collar symbolizes her purity of heart and the innocence she restores in the minds and hearts of the children in her care.  The black belt symbolizes her girding for spiritual battle and obedience to God’s Will. ☩

Sister of Our Lady of Sion  –  Sister Sophie Élise, N.D.S.                                                                                                                   Congrégation de Notre-Dame de Sion                                                                             Motto:  “In Sion Firmata Sum”  – ” I am established in Sion”                                                                Dedicated to keeping alive the consciousness of the Jewish roots of                                               Christianity and building bridges between Christians and Jews                              ☩  This Congregation came into being through Mary’s apparition and intercession   ☩                                                       

Founders:  Marie-Theodore and Marie-Alphonse Radisbonne (brothers and Jewish converts)

Place:  Paris, France

Year:  January 20, 1843 A.D.

Her Charism:  Sion – this word evokes all the hopes of this Sister’s vocation.  It is the Biblical name for Jerusalem, a city of peace, beauty, and stability.  It signifies being rooted in God’s promise – a dwelling place of peace.  This Sister is a woman who helps heal a fractured world by breaking down barriers to anti-Semitism by presenting a TRUE picture of Jews and Judaism through interfaith dialogue and social transformation.  At the same time, she shows the Jews the TRUE meaning of Christianity which sadly is so often distorted by misguided zeal and a lack of understanding.  It gives non-Jews a profound respect for the people from whom Christ Himself chose to come. She is called by a three-fold commitment to the Church, the Jewish people, and to a world of justice, peace, and love and is a witness to the Church and to the world that God continues to be faithful in His love for the Jewish people.  She views her mission through a Biblical lens, (cherishing both Old and New Testaments) seeking to hear and address the cries of the poor and marginalized, combat racism, and the imperative to respectfully promote peace and justice.  It is the gift of the Spirit that guides her mission.  With a heart “bigger than the world and on fire” this Sister ministers through balancing education, Jewish/Christian and interfaith dialogue, human rights advocacy, and social welfare programs, with a deep prayerful life.  Compelled to reflect on the tragedy of the Holocaust, this Sister challenges all forms of racism and is a witness (martyr) to God’s faithful love for the Jewish people and the Biblical call to “do justice, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah: 6:8) ☩ Her first convent established in Jerusalem is named Ecce Homo. In Latin that translates to “Behold the Man” (Jesus) ☩

Sister of Jesus the Good Shepherd (“Pastorelle Sister”) –   Sister Giannina Marie, S.J.B.P.                                                                             Suore Jesu Buen Pastor                                                                                                           “Born from the Tabernacle”    

Founder: Blessed James Alberione ( a prophet of the modern times )

Place: Rome, Italy

Year: October 7, 1938 ( Feast of the Holy Rosary )   

Her Charism:  As part of the Pauline Family, (a small presence in the furrow of humanity cultivated with joy) this Sister’s apostolic mission is to communicate that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The name she bears is a “memorial” of Christ Who died and rose again so as to gather into one the scattered children of God. It is also a “call” to live in communion with Him for the sake of building up His Kingdom. Through her vows to live a chaste, poor and obedient life with charity for all, she personifies the compassion that becomes word, deed, and closeness and builds relationships of reconciliation and fraternity. This “Pastorcita” (“little shepherdess”) does this by engaging in liturgical animation and education and by collaborating with the work of the pastors of the Church and those dedicated to pastoral care. It is through her commitment to being a complementary and integral figure in pastoral ministry that this Sister brings the love of the Good Shepherd to communities directly. Nourished by the Eucharist and the Word of God, she is called to “lay down her life” with joy. Devoted to Mary, Queen of Apostles and Mother of the Good Shepherd, she reflects the apostles Peter and Paul, prays to them, and imitates them because they had great love for Jesus and for souls. Like Mary, she is one in heart and flesh with the Shepherd – a sister, mother, teacher, catechist, and a consoler in every sorrow. A Pastorelle Sister is a continuous presence of light and kindness in the parish by extending God’s grace to those around her and helping them understand they are a beloved child of God, enveloped in love, and never diminished by their flaws or failings. In the intricate tapestry of her life, mercy is the golden thread woven by the Hands of a compassionate Creator. ☩ The pectoral Cross she wears as part of her habit signifies pastoral care and communion in the Blood of Christ in the shape of a chalice. On the front are the engraved words: “Ego sum Pastor bonus” (“I Am the Good Shepherd”) Who gives His life for His sheep. On the back are the words: “Ecce Mater tua, Ecce Filius tuos” (“Behold your Mother! Behold your Son!”) ☩ Because Mary is her model, this Sister is with her at the Foot of the Cross and one with Jesus the Shepherd and those who follow Him.

Sister of Our Lady of Sorrows –  Sister Maria Pietà of the Holy Cross, O.L.S.   

Congregazione Maestre dell ‘Addolorata 

                                   Ardere  – “to burn” Et (and) Lucere – ” to light or shine”

“I carry the One Who carries Me.”

Foundress: Blessed Elisabetta Renzi

Place: Coriano, Italy

Year: August 26, 1839 A.D.

Her Charism: In union with and entrusting herself to Jesus Crucified and Risen, this Sister answers the call to be an enduring presence and witness to the preferential love of Christ for the young, the poor, the weak, and the needy. She lives solely for the glory of God Whom she loves with all her heart. Prayer is at the heart of her life and mission, and she places Jesus at the center of her search for truth. Humility and compassion underpin her journey to holiness through the ministries of education and catechesis. She shares the love that she has for Our Lady at the Foot of the Cross with the poor impoverished souls who do not know the Gift of God. For it is Our Lady of Sorrows who softens all hearts. This humble soul places her own particular gifts and experience at the service of the Church and mission of her Congregation. She loves the Eucharist and is especially devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows, her Patroness. It is Our Lady who teaches her that the feminine heart is the sorrowing heart – and that sorrow makes her more available to those who suffer. It is that feminine heart that stood fast at the Foot of the Cross. Mary is both her companion and teacher of charity in responding to and in consoling the “Christ” in others. She abandons all to the mystery and miracle of Divine Providence, and has an intense union with God in prayer. Her communion with the other Sisters in a spirit of gladness and charity, humility, joy, and simplicity in duty lead her to the peaceful security of being a little creature in the arms of the Father. The Congregation’s motto, Ardere Et Lucere, expresses and captures the dual nature of Christian service: the internal “burning” of zeal, love, and prayer, and the external “shining” of teaching, preaching, and example. This Sister’s true character lies in the tender maternal affection of her children and her commitment to their Christian education, formation, and training. Truly, she embodies “One heart and one soul in God.” In this way, a Sister of Our Lady of Sorrows looks to God and becomes radiant.

Franciscan Immaculatine Sister –  Sister Amata Veritas, S.F.I.                                                                          “A new homage to the Immaculate Conception” 

Founder:  Fr. Lodovico Acernese, OFM Cap. ( who had an extraordinary love for Mary )                Foundress:  Blessed Teresa Manganiello  ( Third Order Franciscan and “cornerstone”  )

Place:  Pietradefusi, Avellino, Italy

Year:  December 8, 1881 A.D.  ( Feast of the Immaculate Conception )

Her Charism:  This Sister is part of the broader Franciscan Family that is particularly devoted to the Immaculate Virgin Mary.  She shares the Capuchin charism which focuses on prayer, contemplation, penance, humility, joyful sacrifice, and service to those in need.  Her work involves education, pastoral care, catechesis, missionary activities, and frequently working alongside the Capuchin Franciscan Friars.  Her Marian spirituality flavors all her work,  She seeks the “lesser” in her relationship with others so as to serve God in the “other” and fosters communion with them.  This Sister shows the transforming power of the Gospel proclaimed in word and action as she strives to love and serve Christ with a seraphic burning love.  Her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience allow her to conform herself more closely to Christ Who was poor, chaste, and obedient to His Father in Heaven.  These vows free her, detaching her from selfishness or earthly possessions and makes possible bringing the Good News of reconciliation and salvation to the men and women of the third millennium with missionary zeal.  She recaptures the simplicity of the authentic charism of St. Francis of Assisi by focusing on contemplative prayer and with a generous penitential spirit.  Like Mary, who was a woman of silence, given to listening  and docile in the Hands of the Father, she shines as a light in the darkness as she spreads the beautiful fragrance of Christ’s humanity to all she meets.                     ☩  Her habit is a sign of her Consecration to the Lord and is a daily reminder to follow the Lord’s invitation to take up her cross and follow Him.  ☩

Augustinian Sister of the Conversion –  Hermana Dulce María, Delight of the Trinity, O.S.A. Comunidad de Conversión Agustina

☩ established in response to the urgency of Man’s return to God ☩

Foundress: Mother (Madre) Prado González

Place: Sotillo de la Adrada, (Ávila) Spain

Year: 2000 A.D.

Her Charism: With a creative fidelity to Augustinian tradition, this “tiny shoot” – a contemplative cloistered Sister – constantly focuses on contemplation and the “interior life” through prayer, silence, and spiritual retreats. She fixes her gaze to discover God through this interiority, wonder, and contemplation of creation through immersion in art and music (part of the Augustinian ethos). This is a joyous contemporary approach to traditional cloistered life. Freed from the tyranny of time and the noise of the world, she gazes upon God Who loves her without limits or conditions and Who always waits for her. Hers is a pilgrimage toward eternity and forgiveness. She lives an experience of grace in poverty, solitude, humble and silent prayer and in-depth study of theology and philosophy. Her monastery is a place of evangelization, apostolic brotherhood, conversion and communion in the midst of the world. COMMUNION and CONVERSION….. these words gave this Sister her origin: “that all may be one so that the world may believe.” It is her aim, therefore, to live here on this earth the Communion of Heaven and to make her way of life luminous and fruitful. Communion chases away loneliness, egoism and greed. She also lives the spirituality of continuous Conversion so that love and unity might triumph over differences and distances. This Sister has a passionate and restless desire for God’s divine love and wants the same for all mankind. In addition to her “interior life” of prayer and spiritual retreats, her primary mission is accompanying pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James de Compostela) and offering retreats at her monastery which features the “Observatory of the Invisible” – a space for art and spirituality and a “return to the heart” and to find God through inner reflection and beauty. For her, Communion is the pilgrim’s return to God. It reflects the beauty and brilliance of the Face of God, and gains access to Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Unity, and God Himself.

Franciscan Hospitaller Sister of the Immaculate Conception –  “Franciscan Hospitaller”          Congregaςão das Irmãs Franciscanas Hospitaleiras da Imaculada Conceição

“A Sister to the poor – A face of the tenderness and mercy of God who works with and for love.”

Sister Luci Benedita of Our Lady of the Snows, F.H.I.C.

Motto: “Lucere – To be luminous and to luminate like a reflection of the light of God “Fovere” – and to warm, protect, care for, and promote life

Founders: Rev. Raimundo dos Anjos Beirão (who became for Portugal what Vincent de Paul had been for the France of his time) and Blessed Maria Clara of the Child Jesus

Place: Lisbon, Portugal

Year: May 3, 1871 A.D.

Her Charism: A child of the beatitudes, this Sister follows the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi, a man of joy and a lover of nature, who lived extreme poverty, humility, and simplicity after the example of Jesus Christ. As a Hospitaller, she is the presence and expression of the mercy and tenderness of God in this wounded world and her charity knows no bounds – it is at the core of her being. Animated by the love of God, she lives in community, making a home by living in love, unity, and fraternal sharing. Like the Immaculate Virgin, humble servant of Our Lord, she offers herself to God with an undivided heart to make of her life a generous “Yes” and to take Jesus to the world. This Sister is alert, vigilant, dedicated to and lives “hospitality” through education, healthcare and social work serving the poor, elderly, sick and orphans across the globe. She is especially dedicated to sheltering the unprotected and abandoned. As a vibrant part of the Church’s prophetic-missionary dimension, she hears the cry of those who have nothing and nobody. Whomever she serves, her life touches them with profound humility, kindness, and an open joyful spirit and she treats everyone well. Basically this Sister’s life is a gift of love, hope and comfort. She is a woman with a compassionate heart, a welcoming spirit, missionary feet, open hands, and a life that bears fruit for the Kingdom of God. Where there is good to be done, she will do it.

Poor Clare of Jerusalem –  Sister Maria Innocentia, Fragrance of Victim Souls, O.S.C..                                           “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!  Praise your God, O Zion!”  –  Ps. 147, 12                           “An act of perfect love is worth more than the whole world.”  –  Mo. Elisabeth of Calvary

Foundress:  Mother Elisabeth of Calvary, O.S.C. (  Élisabeth du Calvaire )                                                             (and 14 Sisters of Saint Clare from Paray-le-Monial, France )                                                                                                                                                                                                          Place:  Originally Nazareth; presently, Jerusalem, Israel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Year:  Originally 1884 A.D. (Nazareth); May 7, 1888 A.D. Jerusalem                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Her Charism:  Consecrated to the mercy of God, this humble “Little Seed” is chosen to be a witness of Christ’s redemptive love for the world at the foot of Christ’s Calvary – in the Holy City that is the “heart” of the Sites of our Redemption.  This is both a grace and a vocation to a difficult yet joy-filled life of simplicity and self-giving.  Here, at the crossroads of humanity and religion she desires to be a little presence of St. Clare of Assisi and her charism: a prayerful memory of the life of Jesus, of the mystery of His Incarnation, of the gift of His life for the life of the world.  As a devout follower of Christ, her mission is prayer for the Church and intercession that broadens her horizons, opens her heart, and introduces her into the mystery of the life of the world.  Her prayers are like roots of a tree: hidden but the tree cannot live without its roots.   As a bride and spiritual mother she embraces the joys, hopes, pains and anguish of all mankind and offers her life of emulating Christ’s virtues for it.  While her body is limited in space in the cloister, her attention grows and grows.  With her contemplative mission being centered on the Pascal Mystery and Christ the “hidden treasure”  she responds to Christ’s voice that unceasingly resounds from Calvary:                        for this, she is HERE.  HERE she becomes a little child sitting in a classroom, learning about the beauty and diversity of religions and peoples – because a symphony requires diversity and complexity.  Butthis symphony is still unfinished.  And so, this Sister remains small, faithful, kind, poor, obedient, chaste, silent, passionate with an indomitable strength of character, and intimately joined to the Cross.  She cherishes Christ’s Presence in the Eucharist (her “mirror of salvation”) and listens attentively to the Word of God that still and always becomes flesh within the events of history and gives everything for God and with God.   Hers is a life of humble presence, prayer, praise, and penance for the glory of God and the salvation of the world.                                                                                                                                   ☩ Her Monastery of St. Clare is located on the road which connects Jerusalem and                     Bethlehem and it is distinguished by its simplicity and beauty.  The Visitation of Elizabeth by Mary is associated with locations close to Jerusalem since Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, performed his priestly duties at Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem. ☩