Sr. Maria Theotokos Adams, SSVM has been a religious sister in the Institute Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (SSVM) since 2001. On May 14, 2022, she earned a doctorate in Church History at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

FAMILY LIFE: Sister Theotokos was born in Washington, DC during a historic winter blizzard. She is an only child, but comes from a long line of Washingtonians on both sides of her family. Her father is an Episcopal priest and unofficial boat-designer and architect. Her late mother was a lifelong Catholic who earned an MFA at GWU but dedicated her time to the family home after an early divorce, and served as a volunteer caring for hospice patients in their homes. Despite her complex family life, both parents fostered in her a love for fine arts and for literature that shaped the way that later Sister narrowly escaped atheism through the via pulchritudinis (“the way of beauty”).

EDUCATION/WORK: Sister Theotokos attended St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia. After spending a year traveling and visiting monasteries in France, she attended Columbia University in New York. Her major in Ancient Studies took her to Hebrew University in Jerusalem for a semester abroad where she met the sisters of her religious community. Sister Theotokos graduated from Columbia University a month before entering the convent. Since then, she has earned an MA, a MPhil, and a PhD in Church History from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

FORMATION: In 2001, Sister Theotokos joined the Institute of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara (SSVM, “the Servidoras”). She completed formation at the St Kateri Tekakwitha Novitiate in Maryland and the Juniorate Immaculate Heart of Mary in Washington, DC as well as studies in Italy. She made her perpetual vows at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on October 11, 2008.

ASSIGNMENTS: Sister Theotokos taught classes and served as a formator in the Juniorate Immaculate Heart of Mary from 2005-2018. She continued to teach 2018-2022, while studying full time for a doctorate in Early Church History. Her dissertation explored the role of liturgical time (in particular the Pascha: Passover/Easter) in the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea, the “father of Church History.”

SPEAKER: Sister Theotokos is a gifted speaker. She has facilitated retreats and conference lectures for children, youth, college students, families and academic scholars. In 2016 she gave the closing keynote address at the inaugural GIVEN Forum Conference for Catholic Women’s Leadership. She especially loves to make the past come alive for people who have never liked to study history. 

HER JOY: Sister Theotokos often marvels at the gift and surprise of her vocation to religious life. To live under the same roof as the Blessed Sacrament, and to be completely consecrated to His love and His service are her greatest joy. She also loves being consecrated to the Virgin Mary. Whenever she introduces herself, she gets to explain the meaning of “Theotokos” (“God-bearer”). In this way, she starts every new encounter by talking about Mary who brings Jesus to the world.

FOR FUN: During times of community rest, Sister enjoys writing humorous songs or light verse to bring joy to her sisters. She also loves science, keeps the Periodic Table by her desk, and never tires of learning more about the beauty of the natural world. She also enjoys making small art projects with any cast-off materials found around the convent.

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