The Story Behind the Sisterhood

Founder Jennifer Nelson in the chapel where she first asked for St. Gianna's intercession. Photo by Joy Yagid.

Every ministry has a beginning, but not every beginning is loud or certain. Some begin quietly—through whispered prayers, hope carried in trust, and small acts of faith that slowly reveal something larger than anyone could have planned.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Relics of St. Gianna began this way.

Long before there was a name, a structure, or a global reach, there was a devotion growing in the heart of our founder, Jennifer Nelson, a woman who had encountered Saint Gianna Molla during her theological studies. What began as admiration for a saint soon became reliance on her intercession—especially in moments where life felt fragile and uncertain. Over time, that devotion became lived experience. Through answered prayers and unexpected grace, Saint Gianna’s presence felt close, maternal, and active. That closeness was not meant to be kept—it was meant to be shared.

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When Relics Began to Travel

The first relics entered the story not through planning, but providence. A priest praying the Rosary on a plane, a chance encounter with a stranger returning from Rome, and two second-class relic cards placed into his hands—seemingly at the exact moment they were needed—marked a turning point. Those relics soon found their way into the hands of women facing pregnancy complications, infertility, illness, and fear.

What followed was simple and powerful: women prayed while holding the relics of Saint Gianna—and they felt seen.

They felt accompanied.

They felt hope.

The relics began to travel, passed lovingly from one woman to another. There was no intention to build a ministry at that point—only a desire to let Saint Gianna continue doing what she so clearly was already doing.

Then one relic did not return.

In the heartbreak of that loss, prayer turned outward—to the Shrine in Italy, asking simply that Saint Gianna would take care of what was hers. What returned instead was far greater than what had been lost.

A response came from Saint Gianna’s daughter, Gianna Emanuela herself. Moved by what she learned about this quiet work of devotion, she sent replacements—many of them. When the package arrived, holding fifteen relic cards instead of one, a name was spoken interiorly and unmistakably:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Relics of St. Gianna.

A Sisterhood Takes Shape

With a name came a call—and with that call came people.

On August 1, 2020, the Sisterhood’s first public step was taken with a single Instagram post. From there, volunteers stepped forward—women willing to become “sisters,” entrusted with holy cards touched to relics of Saint Gianna, and willing to send them to those who asked for prayer.

What emerged was not an organization built on hierarchy, but a network built on trust.

As requests grew, so did the vision. Sisters were invited not just from the United States, but from across the world. Holy cards began to cross borders, oceans, and language barriers. To meet the needs of those requesting prayer, the cards were printed in multiple languages—English, Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, and Arabic—so that no one would feel distant from the comfort being offered.

The Sisterhood slowly became what it was always meant to be: a global community of prayer.

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A Worldwide Community of Faith

Today, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Relics of St. Gianna serves women and families across the United States, Mexico, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Mozambique, Canada, Brazil, the Philippines, Lebanon, India, and Australia.

Though separated by geography, the sisters are united by something deeper: shared prayer, shared mission, and shared trust in the intercession of Saint Gianna. Each sister offers her time freely, becoming a tangible sign that no one walks alone—especially in moments of suffering or uncertainty.

In 2025, the Sisterhood formally became a 501(c)(3), marking a new chapter of stewardship and stability for the work that had already taken root. What began as one woman lending a relic card in faith had become a recognized ministry serving the Church worldwide.

The Heart of the Mission

At its core, the Sisterhood exists to remind the faithful of a simple truth: God is near, and the saints walk with us.

Saint Gianna’s life continues to bear fruit through this ministry—not only in answered prayers, but in the relationships formed among those who serve. Sisters become sisters not by title, but by love. Through shared intentions, quiet sacrifices, and faithful perseverance, they live out the promise of Christ: where two or three are gathered, He is in their midst.

The Sisterhood is sustained not by one person, but by many—by prayers offered in kitchens and chapels, by holy cards mailed with care, by trust placed in God’s timing, and by a saint who continues to gather her daughters.

As the Sisterhood continues to grow, one request remains constant: prayers—for the sisters, their families, the board, the volunteers, and all who support this work through time, talent, and treasure.

This ministry was always about building something faithful.

And Saint Gianna continues to lead the way.