Little Sisters of Jesus
LITTLE SISTERS OF JESUS
An international religious congregation of religious women founded in 1939 in the Sahara at Touggort, Algeria, by Little Sister Magdeleine of Jesus. Characterized as contemplatives living in the world, the sisters pursue a simple life, after the examples of Charles de foucauld. Their spirituality, centered around the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, is modeled on the hidden life of Jesus at Bethlehem and Nazareth. They do not undertake an organized apostolate, but earn their living by manual labor on farms, in factories, and in hospitals. They live in ordinary dwellings in small communities comprising persons of diverse races and nationalities. Located in many countries throughout the world, the Sisters seek to live especially among the Islamic peoples. The motherhouse is in Rome; in the U.S., the principal house is in Baltmore, Maryland. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Sisters numbered some 1,300 in about 70 countries.
Bibliography: Official Catholic Directory, #2330.
[a.-m. boucher/
a.j. wouters]