Sister Maria De Jesus Hostia

Sister Maria de Jesus Hostia was born in Zamora Michoacan, Mexico, April 27, 1932. She entered the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Guadalajara on December 1, 1946 at the age of 14 and came to Anchorage, Alaska on May 15, 1985 at the age of 53.

She came from a family of five girls and one boy, who was the oldest. Her and her father and her brother went to mass every day. At her first communion, her father told her to pray to Jesus to help her be a nun.

Sister Maria de Jesus Hostia’s conversion to convent life happened when she went to visit her two cousins, who were apostolates at the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Guadalajara. She was deeply moved by the beautiful statue of the Blessed Mother and did not want to leave the monastery. She told the Mother Superior that she wanted to stay but the Mother said no, you’re very young, you may just want to be with your cousins. You need more time to know if it’s truly a vocation or not.  A vocation is a very serious thing, you have to know with all of your heart, mind, body, spirit and soul.

Sister Jesus Hostia went home to Zamora and told her father and mother that she wanted to return to the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament to live. Her father told her two things, that he would help her and to pray and pray and pray. Her mother was opposed to her becoming a nun as she felt like Sister Jesus Hostia should stay at home to help her with the younger children and then to travel and learn more about the world. Her father said not to talk about it anymore to her mother until all the paperwork was completed and it was time for her to enter the Monastery.

In December of that same year, Sister Jesus Hostia entered the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament. Her mother cried and cried but said it was okay for her to enter.

Sister Jesus Hostia’s second vocation occurred when she moved to Alaska. Again, her mother cried and cried but was comforted thinking it was only going to be for two or three years. Sister Jesus Hostia called her mother after three years and said she was going to stay in Alaska permanently. Her mother cried and cried.

When Sister Jesus Hostia’s mother lay dying, she said, “I gave my daughter to the Lord” and was deeply consoled. The priest attending her conveyed this information to Sister Jesus Hostia.

Sister Jesus Hostia has never regretted her decision to come to Alaska. She is very happy here and loves the mountains, trees, snow, the beautiful sky and the silence. In the winter, the snow-covered mountains are pink in the morning. The people of Alaska are very kind.