Maria Katharina Kasper

Mary Catherine Kasper, A.D.J.C. (born Katharina Kasper; 26 May 1820 – 2 February 1898) was a German Catholic Religious Sister and the foundress of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Kasper entered the religious life later in her life despite having harbored a desire to become a religious sister for a very long time. It did not materialize earlier due to aggravating circumstances such as Kasper's poor economic status and the deaths of both her father and her brother. Moreover, due to the secularization under Napoleon, no female religious orders existed in her region. Her dedication to the poor and the will was noted during the course of her life and she dedicated herself to this work with great zeal. Pope Francis confirmed her canonization which was celebrated on 14 October 2018.

Early life Maria Katharina Kasper was born on 26 May 1820 in Dernbach (now part of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany) as the third of four children to the devout peasants Heinrich Kasper (Dernbach, 30/12/1773 - Dernbach, 26/01/1842) and Katharina Fassel (Bilkheim 14/12/1785- Dernbach, 20/03/1848). Her father had four daughters from his first marriage with Anna Margaretha Hannappel (1776 - Dernbach, 23/10/1814).

Death Kasper suffered a heart attack on 27 January 1898 and died in Dernbach motherhouse at dawn of the Feast of the Presentation (2 February 1898). She was buried at the sisters' private cemetery near to the motherhouse. Her remains were transferred to the order's motherhouse chapel in 1950. The formal introduction to the cause came on 3 February 1946 under Pope Pius XII and Kasper became titled as a Servant of God.