The Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus seeks to imitate Mary as handmaid, virgin, bride and mother by carrying out the New Evangelization in parishes and providing a female complement to the diocesan priesthood. Mother Mary Clare Roufs, foundress and Mother Superior of the Handmaids, is the youngest foundress and superior of a religious order in the United States.
“Our evangelization and teaching are only effective to the extent that we allow ourselves the time and space to be open and receptive to God and the fullness of His love and grace. The living of our charism in imitation of Mary flows from daily holy hours, weekly prayer days spent in silence, and community retreats soaking in the beautiful nature of northern Minnesota. We also must imitate Mary’s confidence, she who ‘has placed herself in God’s hands boldly, limitlessly, and without fear for her own fate,’ as we are still a young community and do not know just how and where our fiat will lead us.
“Modern culture tends to think of the common good from a merely temporal viewpoint, focusing on how we can better this world. While this is important, today’s society also desperately needs a reminder of the eternal perspective lest our efforts prove to be futile. By our public witness as religious sisters, we contribute to the common good of society by providing this eschatological sign reminding the world that our eternal destiny lies not here but in heaven.” – Mother Mary Clare Roufs
