Our Region

Daughters of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus

in the United States

2011

Our Foundress, Mother María de Jesús Velarde, came to the United States, filled with faith and hope, and opened Marian Fountain of Living Faith Novitiate on Sept 21, 2011, in Steubenville, Ohio.

“How good the Lord is, leading a Community to this great country, which we already love so much!”

(M. María de Jesús Velarde, June 30, 2011)

Marian Fountain of Living Faith

The Lord blessed her faith by sending young women to be formed in the Novitiate, to learn to love the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and to live the religious life and Charism our Mother Foundress passed on to us. From the very beginning, we have followed in her footsteps, dedicating ourselves to the mission of forming young vocations in the Novitiate, as well as serving the children, youth and families who benefit from the many apostolic activities we carry out.

2022

In 2022, our first apostolic work was opened at St. Paul the Apostle Parish and School, in Westerville, Ohio.

The bishop of Columbus, knowing of the Sisters’ zeal for the formation of children and youth and the gift that the educational identity of our Foundress could be in his Diocese, he invited us to establish a mission house, where the Sisters teach and catechize.

The religious presence, prayer and witness of the Sisters in Westerville has enriched the Catholic life and identity of the St. Paul the Apostle community and has also reached the greater Columbus area, particularly through the monthly DOYMAR Prayer Movement gatherings they offer.

2026

In August, we opened a convent in Ave Maria, Florida.

The Sisters offer our prayer and religious presence to the vibrantly Catholic town of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University and Ave Maria Catholic Academy. Following the guidance of Holy Mother Church, we want our young Sisters to pursue higher education at the University, that by receiving sound spiritual and religious formation, they may become credible witnesses in today’s world. We are committed to equip them with the pedagogical skills needed to be professional educators in our Mother Velarde Academies and Catholic Schools.

REGION in the United States

July 25, 2026

The foundations in the United States were canonically erected by the General Council as a Region of our Institute, Daughters of Holy Mary of the Heart of Jesus.
The Regional House is dedicated to serving all our Sisters and Communities in the United States and to uniting us with the General House in Spain, collaborating in solidarity with all our Sisters throughout the world, as one strongly united religious family.

Regional House

700 Lovers Lane
Steubenville, OH 43952
Ph. 740-346-2625

Marian Fountain of Living Faith Novitiate

700 Lovers Lane
Steubenville, OH 43952
Ph. 740-346-2625 -
novi-usa@hsmcj.org

St. Paul Convent

352 Harrogate Loop N
Westerville, OH 43082
Ph. 614-392-1188 / columbus@hsmcj.org

Ave María Convent

4483 Steinbeck Way
Ave Maria, FL 34142
Ph. 239-867-4799 / avemaria@hsmcj.org

You can make it possible for the seeds that are being planted to become great trees, contributing to our efforts to reach more youth, teens, children and families…
You can make it possible for American vocations to share our Charism and give themselves to the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in union with Our Lady….

Help us with your prayer for us, and if God has blessed you with material goods, invest them in a mission that returns one hundred to one and gives eternal life. Please consider supporting us.

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE FOR

* The formation of the Sisters: St. John Paul II Fund
* Youth and young adult ministry: St. Joseph Fund

CHECKS PAYABLE TO:
DAUGHTERS OF HOLY MARY OF THE HEART OF JESUS
(In the memo, write the name of the fund to which you would like to donate.)
700 Lovers Lane / Steubenville, Ohio 43952

Our benefactors are remembered daily in our prayers and in a special monthly Mass.

We give thanks to God for the blessings poured out upon us over the years, enabling us to carry out this great endeavor for his greater glory and for the good of the Church in America.

H.SMCJ