Women…is the Lord calling you to be a missionary sister?

Religious sisters are needed worldwide who, through a witness of heroic holiness in action, will strive to make Jesus, who said, "I am the Truth," known, obeyed, and loved.

Sisters in Jesus the Lord is a Public Association of the Faithful under the authority of Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. in the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph, based in Kansas City, Missouri, serving there and sending sisters to Vladivostok, Russia (and eventually other countries, too). Learn more

Vocation Discernment Retreat: October 21-23, 2022

Noon on Friday to 1:00 pm on Sunday

Could the Lord be calling you to become completely His? Could He be calling you to give your life to fulfill Our Lady of Fatima's request to help convert Russia? Come and See!

Do you love sacred music and liturgy, teaching the faith to all ages, including Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and pro-life work of all kinds? Come and see if Jesus could be calling you to become a canoness!

The retreat will be at the sisters' convent at St. Mary's Parish in St. Joseph, Missouri (just north of Kansas City, Missouri). Bring a Bible, a journal, and a nicer outfit for Sunday Mass.

Please call or text 816 585-7202 or email sistersinjesusthelord@gmail.com to register. Our address is 1606 North 2nd St, Saint Joseph, Missouri 64505-2597

"And I will allure her and speak to her heart…"—Hosea 2

September Update from Mother Stella—

Thank you for your prayers! The far Eastern Catholic Young Adult conference went very well. Sr. Faustina participated the entire week, and Sr. Catherine and I visited when we could. Everything I needed to turn in document-wise for my residency permit has been accepted. Father Daniel Maurer, CJD, is on his way back to Vladivostok by ferry from Korea. I am returning to the US the same way from Sept 13-15.

The roof on "Dom Marii" is almost finished, and apartment 3 has a new cement floor, for the future chapel! Next is the stairwell and attic. We will send out a newsletter soon with pictures. It is a blessing to have two young Catholic Russian women living with us. They asked for assistance in growing in their faith and learning to live family life, and join us for morning prayer or night prayer before or after work, some meals, formation and Sunday Mass.

Read more

August Update from Mother Stella—

Greetings from Vladivostok! I arrived here safely on August 11, just in time to participate in a children's field trip to Vladivostok from Lesozavodsk. These ten children are Catholic and were part of a summer gathering last week in Lesozavodsk led by our brother canons, sisters and some lay volunteers, with catechesis, sports, music and crafts. 27 children total took part last week. May the spiritual fruits be numerous from that encounter!

Mother Julia's cataract and glaucoma surgeries went well last month, and Sr. Damiana continues to lead the Legion of Mary at the Cathedral of St. Joseph parish. Sr. Joanna and I greatly benefited from the "Vita Consecrata Institute" held at Christendom College in Virginia, from July 4-15, and enjoyed meeting with members of the Womens' Apostolate to Youth (WAY), long-time supporters of our mission. We also were grateful to meet with so many wonderful parishioners and donors after the Sunday Masses at Holy Trinity Parish on July 3 in Gainesville, Virginia. We were especially blessed to meet and visit with a refugee family from Ukraine, whose native language is Russian. They have been sponsored by a family from that parish.

Fr. Daniel Maurer, CJD, just visited St. Joseph, Missouri August 1-5. It was such a gift to welcome him there and to give a presentation at the Cathedral parish, including showing the video filmed on-site here in Vladivostok made by Ted Lewis of Wichita (49) Reviving the Roman Catholic Church in Eastern Russia - YouTube).

The renovations to Dom Marii on Russian Island are going very well. Our convent has temporarily moved to the far side of the building, as the two upper apartments on the front side undergo necessary repairs. Great progress has been made on the roof! Four new dormers have greatly increased the light to the full attic, and we are planning four retreat rooms there. The future chapel on the first floor is almost ready for the cement floor to be poured, and the walls have been newly plastered.

We are also excited about the convent in St. Joseph, Missouri, where renovations are about to begin! The necessary permissions are due to come through by September 1, and then the required changes can be made, especially updating the electricity, updating the preschool bathrooms for adults, and adding walls for sisters' cells. The Cathedral Convent will be a wonderful place for welcoming and training postulants for Russia! And the future sisters-in-training will benefit greatly from the experience of serving at the Cathedral parish and school with music and catechesis, including Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. "If you build it, they will come!"

The Rachel's Vineyard retreat in Kansas City went very well at the end of July, and on the way to Vladivostok, I got to meet with one of the leaders of Rachel's Vineyard for Moscow and St. Petersburg. The next Rachel's Vineyard in Russia is September 9-11 in St. Petersburg.

Thank you for your faithfulness to prayer, which makes all of this possible—we are doing this together!

Mother Stella interviewed

Here is a link to a recent radio interview Mother Stella did for "Sounds of the Spires" with Dr. Jennifer Pascual: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EYJU5rwc9XKMR0qdSSBa34zNRhTVXkLJ/view?usp=sharing

Since 2006, Dr. Pascual, Director of Music for Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, has been hosting the radio program "Sounds from the Spires." It can be heard SIRIUSXM 129 Radio, The Catholic Channel.

April Updates

Sr. Catherine is staying in Vladivostok for the time being. Our priests from the US are also staying. There are currently four priests and 15 brother novices in Vladivostok! Sister Catherine has moved in with the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne in the city for safety and community, and is checking up on our renovations on the Island regularly. We decided to have habits made for her in black, so as not to attract attention on the street as a foreigner (Russian Orthodox habits are always all black).

The student group is meeting in the city with Sr. Catherine at the parish for now, and Fr. Vicky, our brother from Pakistan, is now the chaplain for our group. Many parishioners have expressed their gratitude that Sr. Catherine is there with them. She has resumed leading the parish choir.

 

Rachel's Vineyard in Russia

Your prayers are opening many doors here. We have been contacted by several local Protestant churches interested in Rachel's Vineyard, and five of the ten recent participants at the above-pictured recent Rachel's Vineyard retreat for healing after abortion were pastors and pastors' wives, eager to bring healing to their congregations.

November 18 is becoming a special day to offer prayers in reparation for abortion throughout the world. This initiative started last year in Moscow, led by participants in Rachel's Vineyard. Soviet Russia was the first country to legalize abortion, on November 18, 1920.

There was also a pivotal vote in the United States at the National Organization for Women's National Conference (NOW) on November 18, 1967, where a vote was taken to add abortion to their Bill of Rights. https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/for-nancy-pelosi-a-rose-a-prayer-and-a-letter. In Moscow this year, there will be adoration at the Catholic cathedral and at other churches with several Masses offered.

Listen to an interview Mother Stella had on June 10, 2021 on the Institute of Religious Life's facebook page on "The Revival of the Church in Russia." Read our Spring 2021 Newsletter

Announcing the Election of Our New Prioress

The Sisters in Jesus the Lord joyfully announce the election of our new prioress, Mother M. Stella, as of October 2, 2020. Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph celebrated Mass for us and presided at the election. Mother Julia, now Mother Emerita, will continue to serve the community in an advisory role. We are grateful to Mother Julia for her many years of service as our foundress and first superior. We wish Mother M. Stella God's graces and blessings as she fulfills her term of office. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and for your loving suppport of our community and mission!

On EWTN:

Sisters in Jesus the Lord was blessed with the opportunity to share about our community and work in Russia on EWTN. Fr. Mitch Pacwa spoke with Mother Julia and Sr. Maria Damiana in the studio of "EWTN Live," and also spoke with Sr. Maria Stella, Sr. Catherine Marie, and Sr. Faustina Marie vis Skype. Watch the program on line at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98KBvgGy7Lg.

Video:

Reviving the Roman Catholic Church in Eastern Russia: The Fathers in Vladivostok have made a new DVD about their mission, and it includes pictures of our sisters at work. We would be most grateful if you could watch the video and share it with your friends. Watching it will help your prayers take wings!