On December 30, we learned the sad news that President Jimmy Carter passed away after a life of over 100 years. It seemed that every news show has been sharing stories of his life's successes and challenges, his love of family and country, and his solid dedication to the humanitarian care of all people. While viewing one of these shows about his faith, the commentator noted that Jimmy Carter once said, "To me, faith is not just a noun, but also a verb." 

Faith is the IHM Virtue for the Month of January. As we continue the celebration of the Christmas Season, it is appropriate to call to mind the virtue of faith that has been gifted to each of us at our Baptism. As we make our traditional yearly resolutions, I invite you to renew your faith as we ponder faith as an ACTION verb. Let us pray and live the words of Saint Teresa of Avila:

Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which He blesses all the world.

Blessings in 2025,

Sister Mary Sue

This digital book is filled with beautiful and creative ideas, readings and tools for the Winter season!

In a heartfelt podcast, Pope Francis invites Catholics to embrace their role as “pilgrims of hope,” emphasizing the profound connection between hope and kindness as central tenets of the Gospel. He passionately argues that kindness transcends mere diplomacy or social strategies, serving instead as a transformative love that fosters humility and acceptance. Amidst the challenges of wars and social injustices, the Pope urges believers to rise above despair, embodying a spirit of hope that can illuminate even the darkest times. This call to action is a reminder that every act of kindness can spark a ripple of change in the world.

Pope Francis offers

New Year Resolutions

IHM Charism Connection

As we explore the IHM Charism, it is important to reflect on the spirituality of the IHM Congregation, which finds its origin in the spirituality that has been passed down to us from our patrons, St. Alphonsus Liguori and St. Teresa of Avila. It is the spirituality of St. Alphonsus that influenced Father Louis Florent Gillet and Mother Theresa Maxis, the founders of the IHM Congregation. When we speak of spirituality, we mean the living expression of a particular prayer tradition.

The spirituality of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is grounded in the tradition of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, whose passion was to make the redeeming love of Jesus Christ accessible to every person, especially the spiritually abandoned poor and the marginalized of our society. St. Alphonsus held the belief that God is lovingly present in all the daily and ordinary happenings of our lives. He celebrated God’s great journey to the human heart in his contemplation of four major themes: The Incarnation, the Redemption, the Blessed Sacrament and his beloved Mother of God.

For St. Alphonsus, contemplation always led, in one way or another, to the practice of the love of Jesus Christ. Alphonsian spirituality, then, is the living expression of the experience of, the belief in, the response to, and the practice of the love of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer.

Alphonsian spirituality highlights reverence for prayer, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, praying the Stations of the Cross, the importance of Marian devotions, love for God and others, and service to God and the Church through the spirit of mission.



Courtesy of IHM Office of Mission Effectiveness

Dates to Remember