Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore in Philadelphia

On their way to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions spent some time in Philadelphia. She writes about her visit to one Catholic church in the city and her feelings about some of the American customs:

“The pews are finer still than those in New York, and all have cushions upholstered in green or crimson. I find that rather too much. The service is all carried on with music, as everywhere else in America. I do not fancy that. Every Sunday there are two sermons, and the congregations, so numerous, are very attentive.”

To learn more about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, click here.

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore leaves the ship

When Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions arrived in New York Harbor on Sept. 4, 1840, they did not immediately disembark from the Cincinnati. The sisters remained on board until the next day when a small rowboat met them. Saint Mother Theodore writes about climbing down a rope ladder to the rowboat:

“I whispered to the Sisters, ‘Come, if we have to die, let us die, but say nothing!’ With these words I descended first, by the rope ladder, without experiencing the least uneasiness; the others followed, none showing fear except poor Sister Ligouri, who was pale and trembling as though she were sure of meeting her death in the waters.”

To learn more about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, click here.

2010 Phonathon

The 2010 Sisters of Providence Phonathon is officially over! A huge thanks goes out to everyone who had anything to do with the success of this annual event. It takes a lot of volunteers to make it happen. This year we had more than 80 women and men making calls from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Chicago and Indianapolis, as well as from their homes in other parts of the country. In addition, more than 40 women worked diligently to keep all the paperwork in order.

A enormous thank you goes out to everyone who made, or will make, a financial pledge or contribution to support the Sisters of Providence, their mission and ministries. Meet some of your callers on our Web site.

Women’s history Month: spotting a whale

In August of 1840 as Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions traveled aboard the Cincinnati to the United States, a whale was spotted. Here is what Mother Theodore wrote about the experience:

“Once quite a novel scene attracted us from our revery: a whale of enormous size appeared. It spouted columns of water to an amazing height, and from time to time the monster came towards us; it came, in fact, within a gunshot and exhibited its massive head, which seemed as big as a house.”

To read more about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s travel adventures, visit The Gift Shop at Providence Center.

Week three Lenten reflections

During this third week of Lent, two more reflections are offered by the Women of Providence in Collaboration. Our very own Sister Dawn Tomaszewski and Sister Lucy Zientek, CDP, offer words to ponder this week.

In her reflection, Sister Dawn encourages high school-aged students, “Instead of treating our Earth as our stomping ground or worse yet, our dumping ground, we simply need to love Earth and then ask ourselves as we would for any loved one: ‘What will I do to help restore health to Earth?’” Read her reflection here.

Sister Lucy writes, “When we exploit each other, we are inevitably exploiting all of Earth’s creatures. It means that when we fail to reverence each other, we are inevitably failing to reverence all of Earth’s creatures, and that in the worst of ways: we are depriving them of their right to be shaped by human love.” Read her reflection here.

Youth Art Contest winners announced

The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., honored all Youth Art Contest entrants at a reception held in their honor yesterday. This year’s contest theme was “Saint Mother Theodore Guerin — Indiana Pioneer.” The contest, which is in its fourth year, drew 36 submissions from youth residing in the Wabash Valley. First- through third-place winners in the four age categories received ribbons, cash prizes courtesy of Terre Haute Savings Bank and certificates.

Check out the video below to see a slideshow of all of the winning entries!

Picture of the Week: March 5

Kate Grabowski, 10, of Terre Haute, Ind., receives a certificate for placing second in the Sisters of Providence Youth Art Contest from General Officer Sister Paula Damiano as General Officer Sister Jane Marie Osterholt, Lynne Hughes and General Officer Sister Marsha Speth look on. A reception honoring all young artists who entered the contest was conducted March 4 in Providence Center at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Plans are under way for the 2011 contest.

See the top 16 winners’ artwork in the Heritage Museum of Providence Center. The artwork will be on exhibit until March 26.

Chicago associates and sisters gather

Sisters of Providence and Providence Associates and Candidate-Associates in the Chicago area got to know one another a little better during a social on Sunday, Feb. 28. The gathering was held at Mother Theodore Guerin Convent in River Grove, Ill. View photos from the event here.

For more information about Providence Associates, click here.

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore’s travels

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s trip from Ruillé, France, to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was an arduous one. Mother Theodore traveled by most of the “modern” forms of transportation at that time — ship, train, stagecoach, canal boat — and survived!

In her journal, she wrote about traveling by stagecoach: “The coach jolted so terribly as to cause large bumps on one’s head. This day, indeed, we danced without a fiddle all afternoon. The road was really dreadful.”

To learn more about Mother Theodore, visit The Gift Shop at Providence Center.

Women’s History Month is here!

March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate than to remember the life and ministry of our own Saint Mother Theodore Guerin!

Did you know that her father, Laurent, was an officer in the French Navy under Napoleon Bonaparte? Laurent was murdered when the young Anne-Thérèse (birth name of Mother Theodore) was 15 years old. After this tragic event, Anne-Thérèse devoted nearly a decade to caring for her mother and her sister. She was nearly 25 years old when she entered the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé sur-Loir, France.

Learn more about the early life of Mother Theodore by clicking here.

Census Day is approaching!

A 2010 Census form will be arriving in your mailbox soon! WoodsUp.com, our children’s Web site, wants to make sure students understand the importance of the census, so a great deal of information appears in our special 2010 Census section. You can even count down with us to Census Day on April 1 (no foolin’) by checking out our countdown clock!

And if census information is your bag, you might want to check out information from the 1850 Census, the first (and only) census Saint Mother Theodore Guerin participated in.

For those of you who are teachers or parents who homeschool your children, check out our “Using a census” lesson plan.

Art contest reception set for Thursday

The Sisters of Providence invite all Youth Art Contest entrants and the public to a reception from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 4, in O’Shaughnessy Dining Room in Providence Center. The reception starts with social time and light refreshments from 6-6:30 p.m.

Thirty-six young artists entered the contest with its theme, “Saint Mother Theodore Guerin — Indiana Pioneer.”

Prizes will be awarded to first- through third-place winners in four age categories.

For more information, click here.

Anniversary of two Lincoln speeches approaching

Thursday, March 4, is the anniversary of two of Abraham Lincoln’s speeches: his first and second inaugural addresses. During his first inaugural address in 1861, he said, “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war.” Read portions of Lincoln’s address here.

In President Lincoln’s second inaugural address, given in 1865, he said, “Fondly do we hope — fervently do we pray — that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.” To read other parts of this address, click here.

WoodsUp, our children’s Web site, celebrates President Abraham Lincoln by sharing portions of both addresses.

Want to become a Providence Associate?

If you’ve been thinking about becoming a Providence Associate, now is the time! The application process for the 2010-2011 year is open now until June 30, 2010. The Sisters of Providence and Providence Associates welcome you!

For more information about Providence Associates, click here.

For more information about the application process, click here.

Week two Lenten reflections

Two more Lenten reflections are offered by the Women of Providence in Collaboration. Sister Myra Rodgers, CDP, asks, “Why does it take a horrific natural disaster [such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile] to break our hearts open?” Read her reflection here.

Sister Esther M. Guerrero, MCDP, writes, “This Lenten season, we are given the opportunity to love and do good to others. May God’s Provident love, manifested through us, bring healing to others. …” Read her reflection here.