Sisters in Jesus the Lord move to St. Joseph

By Marty Denzer | Photos by Megan Marley

Last summer, during the Year of Saint Joseph, the Sisters in Jesus the Lord moved to St. Joseph from Raytown, which had been their home since 2009. The missionary order, founded by Mother Emerita Julia Kubista to help revive the Catholic Church in Far Eastern Russia, particularly Vladivostok, came to the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese in 2009 at the invitation of then-Bishop Robert Finn. The community, offering a missionary presence with the charism of living in Jesus and evangelizing through the parish through liturgy and music, catechesis for all ages and building the culture of life, was decreed a Public Association of the Faithful in 2010, then became an integral part of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Raytown.

Some time ago, after much thought and prayer, it became clear that the community might need to move in order to grow and flourish, even though they loved the parish that welcomed them 12 years earlier. As they prayed for a resolution, Father Steve Hansen, pastor of the Cathedral of St. Joseph and St. Mary’s Parish in St. Joseph, contacted Mother Maria Stella Whittier, who had been elected prioress Oct. 2, 2020, with an offer. The convent at Cathedral was vacant, used only as storage, would the sisters be interested in it?

The former convent and Early Childhood Learning Center at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, is now the future home of Sisters in Jesus the Lord.

MOVING OFFERED MANY ADVANTAGES:

• The missionary order founded by Mother Emerita Julia is the sister community to the Canons Regular in Jesus the Lord, founded by Father Myron Effing, CJD in 1992 for the revival of the Canons Regular Tradition, based in Vladivostok, Russia. Canons and canonesses (of which Mother Stella hopes the sisters will eventually be known) traditionally live and work at cathedrals.

• Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, is only 30 minutes away and a wonderful opportunity for the formation of sisters. Mother Stella also said they hope some students will feel called to serve the Church in Russia. Sister Joanna, CJD is currently enrolled as a student at Benedictine College.

• The opportunity for the sisters to assist Father Benjamin Armentrout of the Cathedral and Ally Goetz with college ministry at Missouri Western State University is good preparation for the sisters’ work with students in Russia.

• The Pro-Life Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is close by; its director, staff and members are eager to help host Rachel’s Vineyard retreats for post-abortive women and men, a labor of love and mercy in which the sisters have long been involved.

• Cathedral Parish and School are eager to host Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a religious experience for children in which childhood religious values — contemplation and enjoyment of God — predominate. Catechesis is a continuation of their ministry and good training for the work of the Sisters in Jesus the Lord in Russia. The new St. Gianna Early Childhood Center, next to the Cathedral campus, is a perfect place for such catechesis, Mother Stella said.

The sisters praying the Liturgy of the Hours in the little chapel currently set up at St. Mary Rectory.

With Bishop James Johnston’s approval and blessing, the sisters accepted Father Hansen’s offer, which included the use of St. Mary’s Parish’s furnished rectory until the former Cathedral convent, which for 35 years had been used as an Early Childhood Learning Center, could be renovated to serve the sisters’ needs.

The sisters moved into the furnished rectory Aug. 25, 2021. Mother Stella said they were grateful, as all their furniture could go into storage until needed.

Last fall, while still settling in — to daily community life, meeting with students, teaching catechesis, substitute teaching and getting to know parish and school staff and parishioners — the sisters at St. Mary’s experienced an attempted break-in one night. Mother Stella was in Vladivostok at the time, and her sisters asked, “Can we get a dog?”

They adopted a black-and-white pit bull mix, Petrus Magnus Invictus (Peter the Great the Unconquered), affectionately called Magnus, in December. His full name salutes the sisters’ work in Russia.

Petrus Magnus Invictus

Sister Joanna is learning Latin at Benedictine and right away started teaching Magnus verbal commands in Latin — visitors hear, “Sede (sit)!” Magnus, veni (come)!” and “Expecta (wait)!” as Magnus learns obedience. When she is at school, Sister Damiana continues his training.

The sisters are so excited about the opportunity to serve at the Cathedral in St. Joseph and surroundings as a vital part of new candidates’ training to serve in Russia, and to restore the historic convent into a wonderful motherhouse where they can welcome more members, Mother Stella added.