Sisters of Providence collaboration timeline

Introduction by Bill Hughes  Timeline by Christina Blust

Humans are creatures who remember. Can you remember fondly a time when you said or did something about which you feel an appropriate level of pride? How about those times that you recall with a tinge of sadness, because you acted in a way you now regret? Might it be possible to remember even those negative times with a sense of joy, because attitudes and opinions you held in the past have changed, you have grown, and now you view things anew and would behave differently?

Timelines help us remember and understand the ways an institution, a movement, or an individual has evolved. Timelines can celebrate triumphs. They can also tell us of difficulties along the way. You are invited to walk through this timeline and consider how the Sisters of Providence have interacted with each other and how they have engaged with institutions, cultures, and individuals around them. What caused them to grow? How have they evolved?

As you travel through this timeline you will see that many of the cultural forces described are ones we still encounter. Ask yourself, “How might I have acted in that situation? Am I seeking to be guided by our Provident God to do works of love, mercy, and justice?”

Enjoy the journey!

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About the authors: Bill Hughes is a Providence Associate from Terre Haute, Ind. Christina Blust is a staff member in the SP Mission Advancement office.

(Originally published in the Spring 2014 issue of HOPE magazine.)