Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary

The Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary was founded as a Marian community in Savannah, GA in 1916 by Rev. Ignatius Lissner, S.M.A. and Mother Mary Theodore Williams, the first superior general of the community. In 1930, the congregation was established as a Third Order Regular Franciscan order. Our primary purpose is to give praise and glory to God with a mission of uplifting human dignity, educating minds, nourishing body and soul, and relieving suffering. Our life is centered on the Gospel of Christ and the holy Eucharist as a sacrament of unity and transformation.

Our ministry includes education, social service, parish ministry, pastoral care, rural health care, and youth and family ministry in serving homeless children and parents.

We accept single women between the ages of 19 and 40. Applicants should have an attraction to the four TOR Franciscan religious life values, not have been in another religious community (except a transfer of religious), good mental, emotional and physical health, two years of college or possession of a professional skill, and the ability to be bilingual (English, Spanish, French, and Italian).