"Respect every person as the image of God, since in reality that is what they are. ~Saint Raphaela Mary"
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May 18, 2010 - Feast of Saint Raphaela Mary
Video: Feast of Saint Raphaela Mary
On May 18th we celebrate the Feast of Saint Raphaela Mary of the Sacred Heart, the Foundress of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Our congregation currently serves the Church in 26 countries. Faithful to the call of our General Congregation XVIII, the Handmaids strive to live our universality as communion, embracing the richness of different cultures, as a real alternative to an increasingly violent and fragmented world.
In the United States Province since 1926, the Handmaids have made a difference in the lives of countless individuals from Pennsylvania to Florida, from Texas to North Carolina and Georgia. At present, there are thirty-four sisters in the United States who provide an array of services that continue the mission that Saint Raphaela Mary began in 1877.
“Gazing on the Lord strengthens us enormously.” - Saint Raphaela Mary
Cardinal Rigali and Spanish Dignitaries Celebrate Vatican Honor with the Handmaids, USA Province
Check out the Pictures! v Cardinal Rigali's Homily about Saint Raphaela Mary
On Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 5:00 pm at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Center City Philadelphia, His Eminence, Cardinal Justin Rigali, was the Principal Celebrant and Homilist at a Mass that commemorated the blessing and inaugural placement of a statue of Saint Raphaela Mary, the Foundress of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, outside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
The Spanish born saint, canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977, established the international community of religious women known as the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1877 in Pedro Abad, Spain. It has taken nearly 33 years for the Andalucian saint’s statue to take its place among other founders of Catholic religious orders honored by the Vatican. Saint Raphaela Mary’s statue represents the first statue of an Andalucian saint to adorn St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Dr. Herminio Muñiz, Honorary Vice Consul of Spain in Philadelphia, and Mr. Camilo Villarino-Marzo, Political Counselor in charge of European and Defense Affairs, Embassy of Spain, along with hundreds of friends and families attended the Liturgy to celebrate with the Handmaids this unique recognition of their Foundress.
The Handmaids wish to extend their most sincere thanks to all for their gracious support, encouraging words, and wonderful participation in making this joyous occasion truly memorable. God Bless!