Foley Hall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.

In 1930, Mother Mary Raphael Slattery, having closed Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Academy and moved it to Ladywood in Indianapolis, planned to open Providence Juniorate at Saint Mary of the Woods.  The institution of minor seminaries had become an accepted phase of clerical life in the United States, and many communities of women religious were led to open similar high schools in connection with their novitiates. Providence Juniorate (or Aspirancy, as it was renamed after the initiation of the Sister Formation Program) became accredited and was eminently successful through the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. The Fathers of Vatican II addressed reforms in seminary life and suggested that future seminarians do normal activities in high school and have frequent contact with their families. The sisters also began to recommend that young women interested in religious life attend high school at home. Diocesan high schools were becoming plentiful. For this reason, the Aspirancy closed in 1965. Almost 900 young women had received all or part of their education there. Thirty eight percent entered the Novitiate and 75 percent remained to become professed members of the Congregation.

Reunion info

The next reunion of the Providence Juniorate/Aspirancy will be in June 2014. Please contact Sister Lucy Lechner, llechner@spsmw.org, or Sister Ann Casper, acasper@spsmw.org, for more information.

Keep in touch!

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Providence Juniorate/Aspirancy has an active group on Facebook. You must send a request to join. Get started here!