Ministries

St. Theresa Opportunity Center

Sister Joan McCarthy founded the center in 1988 with an enrollment of two children. Since Sister Joan’s death in 1996, other Sisters of Providence have continued this ministry, which now serves all of Tainan County and is recognized by the government for its services and excellence.

St. Theresa Opportunity Center, located in Yuching, provides physical therapy and education for mentally and physically challenged children from ages 3 to 19. Festivities at the celebration of the center’s 10th anniversary in 1998 were held in a newly constructed combination playground and garden called the “Garden of Innocence and Peace.”

Reed School

Reed School is located in Hsinshr, Taiwan. It is called Luway Opportunity Center. Sister Rose Chiu is the director of Reed School, which celebrated its 10th anniversary Nov. 19, 2006.

The school was founded in 1996 by Mr.Wen-Rong Kang and a group of Christians to tend to the needs of the physically and/or mentally disabled persons. In 2002 he wanted someone professionally trained in special education to assume the directorship and asked Sister Rose. After evaluating the school, and with the support of Bishop Joseph Cheng and the Board of St. Theresa Opportunity Center, she did so.

The family who owned the land where the school was located eventually wanted it back, so the Tainan Diocese purchased land in Sinshir Township, Tainan County. As of April 22, 2006, the school has two new buildings — one for early intervention and one for vocational training. The school is owned and sponsored by the Tainan Diocese.

St. Camillus de Lellis Center for the Mentally Challenged

St. Camillus de Lellis Center for the Mentally Challenged is located in Makung on Penghu, an island between Taiwan and China. It is a 35-minute trip by plane. Sister Rose Chiu serves as director and goes there about once a week to visit teachers and give them in-service training. Charity Yang, the administrator of St. Theresa Opportunity Center, also goes at least once every two weeks. The Bishop of Tainan asked for this service several years ago.

Miracle Place

Sister Delan Ma directs this ministry which collaborates with county and township governments to serve an increasing number of low-income clients who are elderly or with disabilities in the area of Taishan and Wugu townships. The ministry began in 2000 and is located in Taishan, Taiwan.

In 2003 a first-floor wing was expanded to provide a senior service center where daily on-site services and social activities are provided for 30 clients. The ministry has a Meals on Motorcycles program to deliver meals to the homebound. Miracle Place personnel also train caregivers to work in homes where they give services such as bathing, simple forms of physical exercise, housecleaning and cooking.

Providence University

Several Sisters of Providence minister at this co-ed university located in Shalu, Taiwan. The entire campus and its many buildings are very modern, all having been constructed since the school moved there from Taichung in 1987.

Providence University is under the supervision of the Diocese of Taichung. The original school, founded in China in 1920 by Sister of Providence Mother Marie Gratia Luking, carries on the legacy of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin through its full complement of programs leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees. For more information, click here.