Community Immaculate Heart of Mary
Juniorate House of Studies
28 15th St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 543-1179
jun.ihm@servidoras.org

After first profession, "...there begins a new period of religious formation, characterized by the philosophical and theological studies. This is carried out according to the norms of the Canon Law, and the most recent documents of the Magisterium, in order to achieve an authentic integral formation: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation" (Const., 258). We have Juniorate Houses in Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Italy, USA, as well as a pre-Juniorate in Egypt. The Juniorate House in the USA was opened in 2001.

Apostolate
As a continuing part of our formation in order that the sisters grow in our charism, our apostolate include the following:

• Our Lady's Oratory: Motivated by the spirit of St. John Bosco "of charity and sacrifice, and brotherliness," the children learn the importance of winning souls for God and the frequent reception of the sacraments. They also learn to simply "sanctify the joy of living." Some of the activities include: praying the Rosary, the Angelus, the Stations of the Cross, putting on plays, as well as competitions in sports, trivia, and art.
• Catechism/Oratory: As our calling is to Evangelization of the Culture, our sisters are involved with the oratory and catechism programs at various parishes in the surrounding area:
  • St. John Baptist de La Salle Catholic Church, Chillum, MD (IVE parish)
  • St. James Catholic Church, Mt. Rainier, MD (IVE parish)
  • St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church, Gaithersburg, MD
  • St. Matthew's Cathedral, Washington, DC
  • Holy Comforter St. Cyprian, Washington, DC
  • St. Mary's Catholic Church, Alexandria, VA
• Pontifical Mission Societies: "The Pontifical Mission Societies have, as their primary purpose, the promotion of a universal missionary spirit - a spirit of prayer and sacrifice - among all baptized Catholics and to gather support for the worldwide mission of the Church" (http://www.worldmissions-catholicchurch.org). The Holy Childhood Association (HCA) is a society of the Pontifical Mission Society. It was founded in 1843 by French Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson. One of our sisters works as the Missions Education Coordinator of HCA. She helps coordinate mission education in schools.

Our Patron
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary stems from the efforts of St. John Eudes to inspire devotion to the heart of Mary. In 1649, he won approval for a Mass of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be celebrated locally. In 1855, the Congregation of Rites approved a Mass for the feast, and in 1880, Pope Leo XIII extended it to the whole diocese of Rome. The 1917, appearances of Mary to three children at Fatima led to a greater confirmation of the devotion, and in 1942, Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The feast for the Universal Church was established in 1944, on the octave day of the Assumption (August 22).