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
September news from Russia
September 20, 2018
Dear Friends and Family, Prayer Partners,
We have great news! The purchase of the last available apartment in Dom Marii, Apt. 2, went through on September 12, the memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary. Now, between Fr. Myron and ourselves, we own seven out of the eight apartments! We had been advised not to touch renovations until we had this last apartment. So, on Saturday, we were able to invite an architect to come. He's helping us find the professionals for the various official steps needed here. The first project . . .
Read Sr. Maria Stella's September letter about all that's happening in Russia.
Sisters with Bishop in Russia
Sister Maria Stella, Sister Joanna Marie, Sister Faustina Marie, Maria, Bishop Kirill Klimovitch of the Diocese of Irkutsk, Far-Eastern Russia, Sister Catherine Marie, and Svetlana Kolomeyseva.
The picture was taken the weekend of the ordination to the transitional deaconate of our Brother Nikita from our brother community, the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord on August 19.
FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) Students in Vladivostok for summer 2018 camps
The following note comes from Sister Catherine Marie sent after the first youth camp at Lesozavodsk,
"This year the children seemed to take in everything very deeply and we believe that their hearts were changed" and "the camp was amazing, and we wanted prayers so that it would bear lasting fruit."
The following letter describes the second youth gathering that took place at our convent, Dom Marii, on Russian Island.
We had a great parish children's gathering on Russian Island, July 25-28. Thank you for your prayers! Ten children came, ages 4-14. Two adult chaperones helped lead early-morning and late-evening activities, and FOCUS came during the day to give talks about our Catholic faith and lead music, crafts, and sports.
During the day, the children enjoyed going swimming in the bay near our place, and one day we took them to the Sea of Japan to experience the ocean waves and salty sea air. Each day, we had Mass. Among the children were four siblings whose father had passed away two years ago. A FOCUS member recently lost his father, and after sharing his story, the two oldest children had a long talk with him (through Sr. Maria Stella as translator) during which they shared many feelings and experiences that they had not been able to talk about up to then.
The second adult chaperone wants to become Catholic, and her 9-year-old granddaughter (who was baptized as a 5-year-old and hadn't been to Mass until coming to camp) wants to prepare for Confession and First Holy Communion. Praise God for working so powerfully in the hearts of all who participated in the gathering! Thank you again for your prayers and sacrifices!
Sincerely,
Your Sisters Stella, Catherine, Faustina, and Joanna, and Maria
"In a City of 7,000 Martyrs, the Faith Comes to Life Again"
The Mary Mother of God Mission Society, www.vladmission.org, has been working to revive the Catholic faith in Russia since 1992. Its founders are Fathers Myron Effing and Daniel Maurer, two Americans who serve the Russian people. Fr. Effing recently offered an update on the mission to Jim Graves of The National Catholic Register.
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!