Sister Diane Ris publishes new book about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

Picture this: A Sister of Providence hovered over a desk in her writing room. A candle swaying delicately through currents of air as the sister works intently on her project. Sound familiar? Saint Mother Theodore Guerin did that when she documented events in her life and those special moments that were of vital importance to the fledgling Congregation in the middle 1800s.

Most recently, though, former General Superior Sister Diane Ris, who is truly devoted to Saint Mother Theodore, found herself in a similar posture.

“I wanted to tell a complete story. I had Mother Theodore’s picture in front of me on the desk in my writing room. I had her first-class relic in front of the picture. I had a candle glowing. There was not one day when I didn’t want to continue working on the book. I was eager to do it,” she said.

The book is called Saint Mother Theodore Guerin: Woman of Providence. It was begun more than a dozen years ago by Sister Joseph Eleanor Ryan (RIP), then Sister Diane took over the work after a sabbatical which followed her term in leadership.

“I have deep love for Mother Theodore. I have so much respect for what she was going through, all that she experienced from birth to death. What a holy woman she was! In the words of Pope John Paul II at her beatification, ‘ … not only was she holy, but she was fully human.’ Put those two things together and you have a saint,” Sister Diane said.

The result is a 277-page book with another 35 pages of notes and information that provides a buffet of luscious details, many of which are shared for the first time.

The book is available at The Gift Shop at Providence Center at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. The Gift Shop can be contacted in various ways: giftshop@spsmw.org, www.spgiftshop.com, 812-535-2947 or 866-996-2947.