Main Stream: Holy Child

The charism of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus is to live out the Gospel through prophetic witness, community living, participatory leadership, and apostolic ministry with a special emphasis on serving the poor, women, and children. Inspired by the model of Mary, the first Handmaid of the Lord, the sisters commit to transformation of lives through education, healthcare, pastoral outreach, and social services, always attentive to Gospel values and the signs of the times.

The congregation was founded on 15 January 1931 in Calabar, Nigeria, by Sister Mary Charles Magdalen Walker, an Irish Sister of Charity who came to Nigeria at the invitation of Bishop Joseph Shanahan (CSSp) to assist in evangelization and women’s education. Her desire to establish a local religious community was realized when four young women she taught expressed the desire to become religious, forming the first members of the congregation. The community was canonically erected in April 1937 and later granted autonomy in 1959, with Pope Paul VI elevating it to a Congregation of Pontifical Right in 1971. Over time, H.H.C.J. has grown into an international and intercultural congregation with members and houses in many countries across Africa, Europe, North America, and the Caribbean.

📧 usa@hhcj.org — general contact email for H.H.C.J. in the United States.