The Handmaids in Their Own Words

We have been blessed at Nativity of Our Lord to welcome Sr. Angelica and Sr. Teresa Rose, two religious sisters from the institute of the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, to our parish since August to work in our School and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. 

Open House at New Convent 

The sisters recently moved into a new convent and would love to show you their new home! They are hosting an “Open House” on Sunday, November 24 and are giving tours of the convent, located at 1142 Summit Ave. in St. Paul. Come see where the sisters live and pray. They hope to see you!

About the Handmaids

The institute of the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus was founded by Mother Mary Clare and formally established in 2010 in the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota by Bishop John LeVoir. The Handmaids live in imitation of Mary, the first Handmaid, echoing her “fiat” in being totally given to Christ and his Church. 

The Handmaids are diocesan sisters, serving in parishes as a complement to the diocesan priesthood. Their spiritual motherhood engages in prayer and the New Evangelization to nurture parishes into spiritual homes centered around the great gift of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Sr. Angelica in Her Own Words

My name is Sr. Angelica, and I am delighted to be serving at Nativity of Our Lord. I will be largely working with the Preschool children at Nativity School and the Nativity Early Learning Center on Mondays and Wednesdays. 

I will be hosting these children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium, a place prepared just for them where they can hear God, know Him, and respond to Him. I am also looking forward to being around the parish, especially at Sunday Mass! 

I grew up just outside Northeast Minneapolis, the youngest of four children. I attended the University of St. Thomas and studied Catholic Studies, English, and Spanish. After graduating, I worked as an office manager in St. Paul for two years. Through all this time, the Lord’s call to religious life was echoing in my heart, though I did not fully understand it, nor feel courageous enough to respond to it.  

Growing up, I loved learning about Jesus, the Church, and the saints. My insatiable hunger for more led me to study the faith, and the more I learned, the more I grew in love of our Lord and desired to spend time with Him in prayer. The more I prayed, the more I grew in love with Jesus, which led me to the desire to give myself totally to Him.  

After years of questioning and doubting, I finally entered our community, the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, in 2020. I made my First Profession of Vows to Almighty God in June of 2023, and I have been relishing the gift of being his bride ever since!  

It is truly a great gift to be able to share the Lord’s goodness with everyone I meet. I am excited to be here at Nativity and enter into its deeply-rooted faith to continue building his kingdom on earth.

Sr. Teresa Rose in Her Own Words

Hello! I am originally from the lovely state of Maryland where my family still lives. Although I have always dreamed of living somewhere warm, the Lord has had other plans for my life! I went to college at Franciscan U. in Ohio where I studied Theology and Communication Arts.  

My time in college was very transformative for my life of faith and relationship with the Lord. It was during that time that I first encountered the love of Jesus, and my life has never been the same!  

It was also during that time that I developed a daily prayer life and deep love for the Eucharist. As I spent time before the Blessed Sacrament, I found that Jesus was revealing to me who I am and how deeply loved I am by Him. This time of daily prayer became something that I looked forward to and was the source of great joy in my life. 

Upon graduating, my deepest desire was to help others experience and know this same love that transformed my life. I became a missionary with St. Paul’s Outreach (SPO) and was sent to the U. of Minnesota. Remember when I said I always wanted to live somewhere warm? 

I absolutely loved my time as a missionary and it was then that I started to hear the Lord inviting me to belong totally to him in consecrated life. I have been with the Handmaids for eight years and just professed my final vows this June. Although the winters are still rough, I love Minnesota and have truly found a home here.  

This year, I am serving at Nativity school on Mondays and Wednesdays. I visit the different grades, teaching them about prayer and virtue as well as helping at lunch at recess. I have been loving being at the School and spending time with the kids!