Dear Prayer Partner,

Spring is in the air, as the ice melts and the smell of the earth returns. We treasure this Lenten season of seeking to draw ever closer to the Lord, to become more aware of His presence with us, searching our hearts with the help of the Holy Spirit to root out whatever is not of Him, in order to love as He loves!

The parish celebrated Fr. Myron’s 85th birthday on Feb. 8 (the day after his birthday) with songs, words of appreciation, and a beautiful slide show of pictures from his 35 years of service in Vladivostok. Fr. Myron’s generosity and fidelity are an inspiration to us. May we follow his example!

The Catholic college group is a joyful highlight of each week. This month, we are learning about Ignatian prayer with Scripture, as well as participating in the Stations of the Cross and Adoration. Mother Stella is preparing two students for Confirmation. A medical student recently expressed his desire for Baptism, and another student just started coming to Mass faithfully after a long and earnest search for truth. The Holy Spirit is at work, and we are so grateful for your prayers that bear fruit in the souls of these young people!

This Saturday we will help host a parish Lenten retreat day. The theme is drawn from Pope Leo XIV’s message for Lent, and the day will include prayer, reflection, and an opportunity for Confession.

Gracie helps feed a little one at the children’s center in Romanovka. She volunteers there once a week, teaching English, playing chess, and simply giving the children loving attention.

Sr. Faustina and Mother Stella accompany Fr. Hubert to anoint a parishioner in the hospital before her operation. Such peace and strength come from the sacraments. What a joy it is to carry the Lord to those who need Him so much!

March Prayer Petitions:

1. For the young men and women preparing to enter the Church at Easter.
   
   
2. For those who will attend the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat on Russian Island March 13-15, that they may experience deep spiritual healing.
   
   
3. For Brother Lloyd who is preparing for ordination to the diaconate in Vladivostok on March 22, that he may be a holy and faithful deacon, and eventually, priest.
   
   
4. For the parishioners preparing for Confirmation on March 23.
   
   
5. For all Catholic priests and religious in Russia who are trying to apply for residency permits, that they will be granted, so they can serve for more than three months at a time, especially for our Canons Regular in Jesus the Lord, priests who are ready to serve here full time.

You are in our prayers daily. Please email any prayer petitions you may have to [email protected]. Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen, pray for us!

With prayers and gratitude in Christ for you,

        Mother M. Stella, Sr. Faustina and Gracie

P.S. For those of you who donate financially as well as through prayers, we have stream-lined online giving now through our new donation management platform called Donor Perfect. Use any phone's camera to get to our new giving link using the QR code below. Thank you so much for your continued generosity.
P.P.S. Here's our best and latest contact data:

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Dear Prayer Partner,

Christmas festival of Christian choirs, January 11, 2026, Most Holy Mother of God Catholic Church

Since we last wrote you, we had the wonderful Christmas festival of Christian choirs at our church, with choirs from the Armenian Apostolic church, the Lutheran church, a Methodist church, a Presbyterian parish and our parish choir.

L-R Fr. Agustinus, Sr. Faustina, Fr. Filipus, Gracie, Fr. Jacob, Karaganda, Kazakhstan

Gracie’s visa requires her to leave Russia every six months, so she and Sr. Faustina traveled to Kazakhstan last week to visit three of our brothers. From Gracie: We were welcomed to Karaganda with white roads, winter trees, chilly temperatures, and smiling faces. Although the forecast numbers were quite low (-40 F), it was nicer than most days in the Vladivostok winter wind. Father Filipus picked us up from the airport with a friend, and two other brothers, Father Agustinus and Father Jacob welcomed us all with a warm and filling breakfast. The parish where our brothers stay in Karaganda is the Basilica of Saint Joseph, where Bishop Joseph Werth was baptized, the one who ordained Fr. Daniel Maurer in Russia in 1992! Every weekday they have adoration in the evening for an hour before mass with a rosary and Benediction. From the first day, we discovered that whatever the brothers are doing, others are always welcome. Every day at their monastery there was a guest, family, or group over—for a meal, prayer, or even a short Catechesis lesson. The brothers model the missionary spirit and Catholic ministry in every aspect of their daily lives. Along with this missionary spirit also comes many parishes and lots of work. We joined one of our brothers to visit his parishes on Sunday for mass. The furthest parish was about one and a half hours away by car and the other parish was on the way back with a slight detour to deliver communion to a home-bound parishioner. This is the type of missionary service each of our brothers joyfully gives every Sunday. Each brother serves at a parish or community that is not close to home, and they also aid at the Basilica of Saint Joseph on the weekdays. We are so proud of our brothers and are in awe of the great things they are doing in Karaganda as priests and missionaries. Please pray for our brothers!

World Day of Consecrated Life in Vladivostok, Russia, February 2, 2026
L-R (back) Br. Andrew, Gracie, Sr. Mira, Br. Francis, Sr. Faustina, Br. Arslan, Sr. Olga, Fr. Peter, Br. Vipin Jose, Mother Stella; (front) Fr. Marcus, Fr. Myron, Sr. Evgenia, Fr. Vicky

On February 2, the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord, the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne and our community gathered for the World Day of Consecrated Life. Over supper, each priest, brother or sister was invited to share something related to his/her vocation as a religious. Some brought a picture from when they became a novice or took vows, others told the story of how they first got interested in Russia and eventually made it here! Fr. Myron, the founder of our brother Canons and also founding pastor of our parish here, shared that he got interested in Russia at a young age, because the refrigerator factory where his father worked was asked to change production to airplane wings to assist Russia in World War II. Later, we realized that each one of us is here in Vladivostok because of Fr. Myron’s “yes” to his own vocation, which eventually led to the reopening of the Catholic church here in the Russian far East.

Our Rachel’s Vineyard team from Vladivostok and Ussurijsk had a wonderful encounter last Thursday—an online training with Dr. Theresa Burke from Pennsylvania, the author of the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat! It was the first time for any of our Russian team members to meet Dr. Burke. We used zoom, and her office has an additional feature, which allowed each participant to see subtitles in her own language—so Dr. Burke’s words were written in Russian, and the team’s Russian comments appeared in English for Dr. Burke. It was amazing. Not a perfect translation, but the team was so grateful for the training and the opportunity to talk together for over two hours with no internet problems. Our next retreat is March 13-15 here on Russian Island.

We continue to meet with Mother Julia over zoom every two or three weeks. She is well and it is such a blessing to get to visit with her from the Maryknoll Motherhouse in Ossining, New York! We often ask if she has any advice, and she always asks for our prayer requests. Recently, she said “Always remember to pray. Rejoice in God for all the good things we see coming out [of our prayers]. Ask for the Lord’s help in every way.”

Prayer Petitions

1. For all Catholic priests and religious in Russia who are trying to apply for residency permits, that they will be granted, so they can serve for more than three months at a time, especially for our Canons Regular in Jesus the Lord, priests who are ready to serve here full time.
   
   
2. For the young men and women preparing to enter the Church at Easter.
   
   
3. For Brother Lloyd who is preparing for ordination to the diaconate March 22, and for the parishioners preparing for Confirmation on March 23.
   
   
4. For young women and men to say “yes” to becoming sisters and priests for the Catholic Church in Russia.
   
   
5. For peace in the world, and for all those who are suffering in war-torn countries.

You are in our prayers daily. Please email any prayer petitions you may have to [email protected].

With prayers and gratitude in Christ for you,

        Mother M. Stella, Sr. Faustina and Gracie

P.S. For those of you who donate financially as well as through prayers, we have stream-lined online giving now through our new donation management platform called Donor Perfect. Use any phone's camera to get to our new giving link using the QR code below. Thank you so much for your continued generosity.
P.P.S. Here's the latest contact data:

Best Phone Number 816-585-7202
Prayer Petitions [email protected]  New Send us your prayer petitions
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Dear Prayer Partner,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We are so grateful for your prayers.

Nativity at Dom Marii, December 26, 2025. Candles were brought to baby Jesus in procession by our university students at our annual Christmas party.

English Mass, Christmas Day, Most Holy Mary Mother of God Catholic Church, Vladivostok.

Brother, sisters and students on Christmas Day in Vladivostok with Fr. Edwin, CJD.

This has been a very joyous Christmas season! Our university students were on break December 25-January 8, so we have been celebrating Christmas especially with them. We started with Masses in Russian on Christmas eve and day, then in English and Spanish on Christmas day afternoon. Our annual Christmas party at Dom Marii was on December 26. On New Year’s Eve, we had a Mass with the students and all-night adoration. On New Year’s day, students came over for a delicious Indian dinner, sung vespers and games, and they spent the night! Several of the most special times were singing the liturgy of the hours with the students in three- and four-part harmony. We also enjoyed an ice-skating day with a New Year’s reflection, the Nutcracker ballet at the opera-ballet theater, a movie night with “A Christmas Carol”, and caroling at a local mental hospital with our parish choir. Another day we went cross-country skiing at a free place on Russian Island.

Evangelization through music is something we love! The professional Christmas concerts this year December 27 and 28 went well—a full community event, with helping set everything up and Mother Stella played the harp, too. Sunday, January 11, is the Christmas festival of Christian choirs at our church, with choirs from the Armenian Orthodox church, the Lutheran church, a Methodist church, a Presbyterian parish and our Catholic Vietnamese parishioners all singing with our Russian parish choir in a free concert, followed by tea together.

Biggest answer to prayer! Three new priests: L-R: Fr. Pradeep, CJD, Fr. Peter, CJD, Fr. Edwin, CJD.

Praise God! Your prayers and ours were answered earlier than expected!! Bishop Kirill of Irkutsk called Father Myron on December 9 to say that he would be flying to Vladivostok to ordain our three brother deacons to the priesthood on the fourth Sunday of Advent! What a joy it is to have three new brother priests! Fr. Edwin and Fr. Pradeep have been here for the entire Christmas season, and celebrated Mass at five different parishes, as well as at our convent. Fr. Peter is studying in Siberia and we hope he will be able to continue studies in Vladivostok next year.

1. For all Catholic priests and religious in Russia who are trying to apply for residency permits, that they will be granted, so they can serve for more than three months at a time, especially for our Canons Regular in Jesus the Lord, priests who are ready to serve here full time.
   
   
2. For unity with the Russian Orthodox church, as we pray during the week of Christian Unity: Jan 18-25.
   
   
3. For young women and men to say “yes” to becoming sisters and priests for the Catholic Church in Russia.
   
   
4. For peace in the world, and for all those who are suffering in war-torn countries.
   
   

As a gift for you this Christmas, three Masses are being offered for you and your intentions.

You are in our prayers daily. Please email any prayer petitions you may have to [email protected].

In Joy of Christ's birth,

Mother M. Stella, Sr. Faustina, and Gracie

P.S. For those of you who donate financially as well as through prayers, we have stream-lined online giving now through our new donation management platform called Donor Perfect. Use any phone's camera to get to our new giving link using the QR code below. Thank you so much for your continued generosity.
P.P.S. Here's the best and latest contact data:

Best Phone Number 816-585-7202
Prayer Petitions [email protected]  New Send us your prayer petitions
General Email [email protected]
Donation Questions [email protected]  New
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Dear Prayer Partner,

Happy Advent!  Thank you so much for your prayers.  You make out mission possible!

 Catholic College Student All Saints Day at Our Lady of Fatima parish center, Vladivostok—Sisters with cooks and helper

November was filled with new beginnings: Gracie got to start teaching English informally to children in Romanovka, we attended a friend’s baby’s baptism at a local Orthodox church, we had our first snow fall of the season and a new little parishioner started coming to Catechesis of the Good Shepherd!

Little Alisa whispered to her mother last Sunday when most parishioners were heading home after tea “can we go to that room?” She meant the “atrium” where she experiences Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with Sr. Faustina. She loved her time there again.

The Rachel’s Vineyard retreat November 7-9 went very well. We had thirteen participants, including three medical personnel and two men. It was such a blessing to be part of the healing on our team of six. Before the retreat, thanks to our donors, we purchased twenty comfortable chairs that we found at a good second-hand store in town. There are already five people signed up for the next retreat in March.

Our driving tests should be in the next week or two—it would be great to have our Russian licenses by Christmas!

Most recently, we have been praying different forms of Catholic prayer with our Catholic college student group: lectio divina or praying with the Scriptures; a praise and worship evening; the rosary with meditations; and this Friday, a Holy Hour with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Almost every week, someone brings a friend, so our group continues to grow. We look forward to our annual Christmas party with the college students the Friday after Christmas.
        
Gracie has been baking cakes or pies almost every week for our brothers who arrive or depart to renew their visas. At Fr. Myron’s request, she even made a banana cream pie and a cherry pie for Thanksgiving.

Gracie and a Helper

Please continue to pray that our brothers will be able to apply for residency permits so that Fr. Myron will not be the only resident priest for five parishes! He is the only priest right now until at least Christmas.

L-R Fr. Peter Mary, CJD, Fr. Patrick Napal, CJD, (both back in their home countries now), Our Lady of Fatima, Mother Stella, Sr. Faustina, Gracie.

December Prayer Petitions:

 

1. For our three brother candidates as they become novices on December 7, for Br. Ruben as he professes his first vows on December 8, and for Deacons Edwin, Pradeep and Peter as they continue to prepare for ordination to the priesthood as Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord.
2. For all Catholic priests and religious in Russia who are trying to apply for residency permits, that they will be granted, so they can serve for more than three months at a time.
   
3. For the young women the Lord is calling to be sisters with us.
   
4. For all who will come to the Christmas liturgies and to our professional Christmas concerts December 27 and 28, that they will be filled with a longing to know Jesus.

Here is a beautiful prayer we are praying each day until Christmas:


 
With the Blessed Mother awaiting the birth of Jesus,Mother M. Stella, CJD
 
P.S. For those of you who donate financially as well as through prayers, we have stream-lined online giving now through our new donation management platform called Donor Perfect. Use any phone's camera to get to our new giving link using the QR code below. Thank you so much for your continued generosity.

Best Phone Number 816-585-7202
Prayer Petitions [email protected]  New Send us your prayer petitions
General Email [email protected]
Donation Questions [email protected]  New
General Support [email protected]  New
Facebook http://facebook.com/SistersinJesustheLord33

Dear Friends of Sisters in Jesus the Lord,

This month, November, is dedicated especially to prayers for the souls of those who have died. We are praying for all our deceased benefactors and prayer partners.This has been a busy month! We hosted the Catechetical training conference for our part of the diocese for the first time at Dom Marii! We had two excellent presenters—one on Christian pedagogy, Russian culture and the Foundations of Christianity, and another on the history of the Russian Far East before it was Russia—when it was still Manchuria. It turns out that the first missionaries in what is now Vladivostok were French Catholics!
Thanks to your prayers, the drainage was completed around Dom Marii before any frosts (see picture while they were working, below). In the spring, we plan to make the area around our convent beautiful.  

Sr. Faustina and I are continuing our driving instruction. We completed the theory classes and start the driving portion tomorrow. Most likely we will be ready for the driving tests by early December.  

Last Saturday, Gracie went to Romanovka to “Tropinka”, the after school center for children run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne. In addition to being with the children, she was able to see the land where it might be possible to build a chapel! Fr. Myron has asked her to contribute to the building plans, since she studied architecture.

We have been preparing for our Rachel’s Vineyard retreat which will be Nov 7-9. Praise God—we have twelve confirmed participants, and already four wanting to come in the spring.

The Catholic college student group is continuing to grow—most recently, our brothers prepared excellent talks on the purpose of life—why God created us.  The sharing during dinner continues to bring all of us closer together, so that we are truly like a family.  

On a very somber note, we were all looking forward to Fr. Daniel Maurer, CJD’s return to Vladivostok, but he was not allowed to enter the country last week after landing in the Vladivostok airport. He is the pastor of our parish and the co-founder of our brother community, the Canons Regular in Jesus the Lord. He flew back through China and Korea to California. We do not know if it will be possible for him to return.  Please pray that our brothers will be able to apply for residency permits so that Fr. Myron will not be the only resident priest for five parishes! All of our brothers except our Russian one are on 3 month visas.  

1. For all Catholic priests and religious in Russia who are trying to apply for residency permits, that they will be granted, so they can serve for more than 3 months at a time, especially for our brother Canons Regular in Jesus the Lord.
   
   
2. For the repose of the souls of parishioners, benefactors and prayer partners, and all the souls in purgatory.
   
   
3. For the young women the Lord is calling to be sisters with us, and for our brothers preparing to become novices.
   
   
4. For an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our Rachel’s Vineyard retreat Nov 7-9, for deep healing.

You are in our prayers daily. Please email any prayer petitions you may have to [email protected]

In Jesus,
Mother Stella, CJD

P.S. For those of you who donate financially as well as through prayers, we have stream-lined online giving now through our new donation management platform called Donor Perfect. Use any phone's camera to get to our new giving link using the QR code below. Thank you so much for your continued generosity.
Best Phone Number 816-585-7202
Prayer Petitions [email protected]  New Send us your prayer petitions
General Email [email protected]
Donation Questions [email protected]  New
General Support [email protected]  New
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Dear Prayer Partner,

Happy Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, patroness of the missions and of Catholics in Russia!  

Many good things have have happened in this past month—especially the blessing of attending our diocesan conference September 17-21 in Irkutsk, near Lake Baikal. Over eighty people from our diocese attended, including 27 priests, two bishops, at least 45 sisters and a handful of laypeople. Our gathering was in honor of the 25^th anniversary of the dedication of the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Irkutsk, Russia (Sept 8, 2000) and in honor of our Bishop Kirill Klimovich’s 25^th anniversary of his ordination as bishop. Even the former bishop of Irkutsk, Bishop Jerzy Mazur from Poland, flew in for the occasion. It was such an encouragement to be together, to share experiences. Thank you for your prayers! We had not had such a diocesan-wide gathering in at least eight years, because our diocesan territory is a little larger than the continental United States! God rolled out the red carpet for our postulant Gracie’s first six weeks in Russia : )

Other than that grand event, we have been spending most of our time in the city at the parish. The university students are back from vacation and we recently had faith, hope, and love as discussion topics for our Friday gatherings. From October 2-5, we are hosting a catechetical conference for our deanery, with eight guests staying with us on the Island, and inspiring talks on Christian pedagogy, the history of Catholic missionaries in Manchuria (on the territory that is now the Russian far East), and on Russian spirituality.  We are so grateful to God that Dom Marii is now a place where we can welcome others for events like this!

Other good news—thanks to your prayers, after waiting over three years for drainage to be done around Dom Marii, our convent, our foreman announced that he was ready to proceed. His crew started last week, and it is great to see the full original facade that was buried under erosion from the hill above us, behind the convent. Thankfully, the rains have been holding off and it looks like the project will be completed successfully before any downpours.

We have been in the city most of each week because Sr. Faustina and I are in Russian driving school! It is required now for anyone with a residency permit to have a Russian license, rather than an international one. Classes are offered at night, so the three of us have been staying either in the parish guest rooms, or with the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne. We have completed the first six classroom sessions of three hours each (two more to go!), then will have time in the “autodrome” and then with a behind-the-wheel instructor for eight more lessons. We hope to be able to pass the written and driving exams in November.

A copy for Vladivostok of the beautiful icon of Our Lady of Fatima, “In You Is Unity” in blue arrived safely by mail from Moscow. It will be wonderful to display her properly when the reredos is completed for our chapel!

1. For Our Lady of the Rosary’s intercession for residency permits for our brother deacons and priests, who are currently on three- month visas, and for more priests and religious to serve Catholics in Russia.
   
   
2. For the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat in Kansas City, Missouri October 17-19, for the Rachel’s Vineyard in Irkutsk and for the next Rachel’s Vineyard in Vladivostok, hopefully in early November, that the women and men most in need of healing will learn about this and have the courage to come.
   
   
3. For the successful completion of the drainage around Dom Marii, and the protection of all the workers.
   
   
4. For peace in the world, let us pray:

We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God;

despise not our petitions in our necessities,

but deliver us always from all dangers,

O glorious and blessed Virgin.

With love and gratitude in Christ,

 

Mother Stella, CJD

P.S. For those of you who donate financially as well as through prayers, we have stream-lined online giving now through our new donation management platform called Donor Perfect. Use any phone's camera to get to our new giving link using the QR code below. Thank you so much for your continued generosity.


P.P.S. Here's our best and latest contact data:

Best Phone Number: 816-585-7202
Prayer Petitions [email protected]  New Send us your prayer petitions
General email [email protected]
donation Questions [email protected] New
General support [email protected] New
​Facebook​ http://facebook.com/SistersinJesustheLord33 

Dear Prayer Partner,

L-R: Gracie, Karolyn Lobash, Sara Schlies, Mother Stella, Sr. Faustina, Fr Daniel Maurer

Thank you for your prayers!  We have had a wonderful summer in St. Joseph, Missouri, reconnecting with parishioners, family, and friends.  We are blessed and encouraged by the prayerful loving support here, and we are so grateful!

In mid-July, we traveled to Prosper, Texas, to share about our mission and connect with our “back office” team. On the way, we stopped in Wichita, Kansas, to pray at the tomb of Venerable Father Emil Kapaun, whose cause for canonization is underway. We learned that he had a special love for missionary sisters. As we continued our drive to Texas the next day, we were involved in a car accident. When our car came to a stop, Mother Stella looked down and saw the prayer card of Fr. Kapaun under her feet. We felt we had been protected by his prayers. Although our car was totaled, we were unharmed. When we returned to St. Joseph, a friend donated a car to replace the one we lost. Thanks be to God for the intercession of the saints!

On the following weekend, we were blessed by the visits of Fr. Daniel Maurer, Karolyn Lobash (a former teacher from the Cathedral school), and Sara Schlies (formerly Sr. Joanna) and her father. It was wonderful to see all of them! Sara has discerned a call to the eremitical life and will be joining a community of hermits in Ava, Missouri, in September. We have been blessed by several other visits from family and friends, and each one has filled us with joy!

Three girls and four chaperones from Camp Bosco, a Catholic summer camp for high schoolers, stayed at our St. Joseph Cathedral convent the last week of July. The campers served in the food kitchen, helped at Catholic Charities, and built a Marian grotto at the pro-life shrine in town.

We are preparing now to return to Vladivostok, departing Kansas City on August 8.

August Prayer Petitions:

• For safe travels for the Sisters in Jesus the Lord on their way to Russia August 8-10.
• For those who were baptized or entered the Church this year, that they may persevere in faith and continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord.
• For the CORSUM meeting (for superiors of religious communities in Russia) August 18-22, that it may bear fruit for the entire Church.
• For college students who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, that Christ may enlighten their minds and restore peace and hope to their hearts.

Our hearts are so filled with gratitude for your prayers!

With love and gratitude in Christ,

Mother Stella, Sister Faustina and Gracie

Sisters in Jesus the Lord Prayer Update and Petitions March-April 2025

Our temporary chapel in Dom Marii, at last in its permanent location!  Reredos and pews to come!
Dear Prayer Partner,
 
Our hearts are so full of gratitude to the Lord for all the blessings of these past two months! Thank you for praying for us.
The renovation of apartments five and seven was completed on March 7! For the two weeks leading up to the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat March 21-23, Sr. Faustina and I went to furniture stores, and worked with our brothers and many students to help clean, hang towel racks, put bed frames together, make beds, and move the office and chapel, laundry room, dining room and kitchen. We found a good deal on mattresses and were amazed to find out that they were vacuum packed in rolls, in two layers of plastic, so that all thirteen mattresses fit into our minivan:


Now Dom Marii is basically set up to host retreats and other events! We will be publishing a list on our website of furniture still needed.
 
The Rachel’s Vineyard retreat for healing after abortion went so well. Ten women participated, and we commemorated over thirty children at the Memorial Service on Sunday. It was so beautiful to witness as the women accepted their children lost to abortion or miscarriage as full members of their family.
 
Last weekend, friends of ours from several Protestant churches led a one-day retreat “The Love of the Father.” They had rented a hostel but realized a few days before the retreat that it was not as spacious as they expected. They asked if the retreat could be at Dom Marii instead. Forty people filled our dining room and conference room (they brought extra folding tables and chairs) and several participants spent the night. They loved being here and said they could tell that it is a place of prayer!
 
On the same day, we were with our parishioners in the city at our Lenten parish retreat:
Parish retreat day, March 29, 2025, Most Holy Mary, Mother of God Catholic Church, Vladivostok
This week, three of our brothers are in two of the apartments making a silent retreat to prepare for their ordination to the diaconate on Sunday, April 6 by Bishop Kirill Klimovich of Irkutsk!
 
Sr. Faustina and I are flying to the US on April 23 and will be attending two religious conferences, visiting Mother Julia and visiting family before returning to St. Joseph, Missouri on May 16. We will be in Missouri until early August when we head back to Russia. It would be great to see you!
 
April Prayer Petitions:

1. For Brothers Edwin, Peter and Pradeep as they prepare for ordination to the diaconate on Sunday, April 6, that they will be holy deacons and eventually holy priests!
2. For all those who will receive the sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Kirill this Saturday, April 5.
3. For the two students we are preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter, and for all who are preparing for baptism and entering the Church.
4. For unity among Christians, especially this Easter as Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches all celebrate Easter on the same day!
5. For the young women being called to join us, especially for the one in America most likely becoming a postulant soon.

 
May you have a most blessed last several weeks of Lent and may the joy of our risen Savior fill your hearts this Easter!
 
 Mother Stella and Sister Faustina

P.S.  If you would like to donate towards furniture for Dom Marii or any other expenses, please go to DonorPerfect Forms.
 

---

Sisters in Jesus the Lord (Canonissae in Jesu Domino, C.J.D.)
www.cjd.cc
 
Cathedral Convent of Saint Joseph

Dear Prayer Partner,
 
May God bless you abundantly for your prayers this last month!  This past January was filled with many graces and great joy and has certainly proved to be a wonderful beginning of the New Year!

At the Student Group in the Bishop Slivovsky Room, Vladivostok, January 25, 2025

On January 26, we traveled to the city of Ussurijsk to attend the farewell Mass for Brother Stefano, a Franciscan friar who has served at the small Catholic Parish there since 2014 and whose community has also been responsible for the Men’s Homeless Shelter, established in 2007. It was especially touching to witness the love of the parishioners for Brother! In addition to giving him various gifts, several of them expressed their appreciation for Brother Stefano through poem and song! We will all miss Brother and the Franciscans very much!
 
Big news for the Catholic church in Russia: on February 2, a new bishop was ordained as auxiliary bishop for the diocese of Novosibirsk, one of four dioceses in Russia, bringing the total number of Roman Catholic bishops to six. Bishop Stefan Lipke, SJ, is from Essen, Germany, and has served in Russia for many years, even obtaining a doctorate in Russian Literature at a Russian university. Please pray for him in his new assignment, assisting Bishop Joseph Werth, SJ.
 
Earlier this month, we were blessed to have an Orthodox priest as a guest in our monastery. This was the first time that we had ever hosted one of the Russian clergy, and we recognized in it a rare and beautiful opportunity to strengthen ties between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches here in Vladivostok. We spoke at length about the Faith and the various history and traditions of our Churches. Preceding our conversation, however, Father eagerly insisted on serving us the dinner prepared in his honor, which, although rather unusual and unexpected, created a jovial atmosphere that lasted for the rest of the visit!
 
The student group has begun learning about St. Ignatius of Loyola’s “Discernment of Sprits.” So far, we have covered a brief history of St. Ignatius’ life and the event which gave rise to his 14 rules, as well as Rules One through Four. Each night, we have begun Lectio Divina with Biblical passages that highlight the particular Rule that is to be discussed later that evening. When the time comes for sharing, the students have been very open regarding their personal struggles and growth in the spiritual life. It has been truly inspiring to witness their vulnerability and honesty during these gatherings.
 
Sr. Joanna has continued to visit the after-school center in Romanovka. Two Saturdays were especially fun, as the children were able to go ice-skating! Some of the children were very eager to race Sister on the ice, which, it seemed, necessarily ended with crashing into the walls of the rink. While not on the ice, Sr. Joanna continues to give short English lessons to the children, play unconventional games of chess, and simply get to know each child better through frequent conversation and often lively interaction.  
 
Concerning Sr. Joanna’s vocational journey, through much prayer and discernment, Sr. Joanna has come to believe that God is truly calling her to live a much more contemplative life in America, despite her great love for Russia. She returned to the States on February 6. Although this decision has filled her with a deep sense of peace, she has expressed numerous times how much she will miss our community as well as those she has come to know in Vladivostok and St. Joseph. We miss her already!
 
She sends all of you her love and prayers and asks that you will please keep her in your prayers, as well! If you wish to contact her, please write to her at this address: [email protected]. She is staying in contact with us and would love to stay in contact with everyone else that she has come to know and love while being with the Sisters in Jesus the Lord.  
 
Here are our petitions for February:

1. For the steady work and safety of those renovating Dom Marii, our convent on Russian Island.
2. For the six students who will make a three-day Ignatian Spiritual Exercises retreat February 9-12 in Khabarovsk, Russia, and for safe travel for them and for us on the train.
3. For Sr. Joanna, that the Lord will help her in this time of transition, and that He will continue to lead her as she takes the next steps on her vocational journey.
4. For the young woman who has applied to join our community, that the Lord will continue to bless and guide her during this time.
5. For the catechumens who wish to enter the Church this Easter, that their growing faith will take deep and lasting root in their hearts.
6. You are in our prayers daily. Please email any prayer petitions you may have to this email.

 
If you would like to donate financially in addition to blessing us with your prayers, there is a new “donate” buttons on our website Donate - Sisters in Jesus the Lord - Saint Joseph, MO that gives several options, and you will receive an instant receipt through a new program given to us called “donor perfect.”

In the joy of Christ’s birth,

Mother M. Stella, CJD

P.S.  The three of us gave a short concert on the Feast of the Presentation. Videos should be on the Cathedral of St. Joseph, Missouri, Facebook page soon.
 

Dear Prayer Partner,

Thank you so much for your prayers!  We hope that you have had a most blessed and grace-filled Christmas and that the Christ Child will continue to fill your hearts with his peace and light during this New Year!

In our convent chapel, newly decorated for Christmas on December 24, 2024God has certainly been using your prayers! It has been so beautiful to see the faith of some of the university students! During the Christmas octave, several of the students rode with us early in the mornings for daily Mass and also made extra holy hours in the Church.
 
On December 27th, on the Feast of St. John the Beloved, we held our annual Christmas party for the students. Men and women from both young adult groups attended (Russian and English language). We hosted the party in our convent and the guests generously either brought their own dishes or helped us cook ours! Each person was given a candle to place by the crib of the Infant Jesus and we sang multiple Christmas carols – in several different languages! On January 1st, we showed “It’s a Wonderful Life” to the students and had a very fruitful discussion afterwards, as many of the students themselves had questions about life and God’s unique purpose for them. Also, on January 3rd, we hosted our annual ice-skating event for them on the Island.
 
This Christmas Season, we put on an informal music concert for the patients at a mental hospital. We were so touched when one of them begged us not to leave and even joined our ensemble for part of the concert! Furthermore, we attended the New Year’s celebration at Tropinka, the after-school center in Romanovka. We sat with the children during a visit from Father Frost (the Russian version of Santa Claus), ate lunch with them, and then played and sang with the children for the last several hours!
 
Sister Faustina continued giving catechism lessons to a Nigerian student who was a Pentecostal, as well as to an Indian student who wishes to convert from Hinduism.
 
We were able to restart the Christmas festival of Christian Choirs which included our parish choir, three choirs from the Protestant Churches, and singers from the Armenian Orthodox Church. Mother Stella was also able to attend the Russian Orthodox Christmas Liturgy, a gesture that we hope will foster greater friendship and unity with the Christian East!
 
Renovations-wise, apartment 5 is coming along well! Next month, we should be able to order furniture for the new guest rooms! A local architect friend is working on plans for our chapel. We are preparing for a Rachel's Vineyard retreat at Dom Marii, our convent, March 21-23.
 
Here are our petitions for January:

1. For the steady work and safety of those renovating Dom Marii, our convent on Russian Island.
   
   
2. For two students and other people who wish to enter the Church this Easter, that their faith and relationship with Christ will continue to grow and mature.
   
   
3. For the young women that God is calling to join our community, particularly for a young woman who has applied to join us.  
   
   
4. For the health of Fr. Sebastian d’ Silva, pastor of Our Lady of the Pacific Parish in Nakhodka, about a 3 ½ drive Southeast of Vladivostok, who has been in the hospital since Christmas.

You are in our prayers daily. Please email any prayer petitions you may have to this email.
 
In the joy of Christ’s birth,

Mother M. Stella, CJD
Sisters in Jesus the Lord (Canonissae in Jesu Domino, C.J.D.)