Saint Mother Theodore Guerin receives another honor

How was Saint Mother Theodore Guerin a pioneer? Let us count the ways!

She led a group of five other Sisters of Providence on a treacherous ocean voyage, through densely wooded terrain to a forest that became home.

She was a leader in building Catholic education in Indiana.

She was an astute businesswoman and landowner.

She was a model of devotion to God.

Oh, you get the idea. And so does the Society of Indiana Pioneers. On Nov. 6, Saint Mother Theodore was named a Pioneer Founder of Indiana. The society honored 18 counties this year. More individuals will be honored in the next five years as Indiana prepares to celebrate its Bicentennial in 2016. In 2007, Saint Mother Theodore was honored by the group as a Hoosier Pioneer in recognition of her canonization.

Mary Alice Hines, PhD., of Indianapolis offered Saint Mother Theodore’s nomination.

The Society of Indiana Pioneers was established in 1916 in conjunction with the state’s centennial celebration with the intention to honor the memory and work of the early settlers who opened the state to exploration and continued its development.