What can these Woods offer you?

The Jubilee Year of Mercy began Dec. 8, 2015, the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. What will you do this year to grow in your faith? To strengthen both charitable works and social justice at home and as part of your faith community?

What about making a pilgrimage to the motherhouse grounds of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana? The motherhouse is nestled among 1,200 beautiful, peaceful acres of gardens and forest.

The dictionary defines a pilgrimage as “a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion.”

The Sisters of Providence invite you to visit the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, the 8th U.S. Saint. What does it take to become a saint today? As Mother Theodore states, “Nothing more than what you do every day. Only do it for God’s Love.”

We invite you to “Journey with a Saint” — to walk the same grounds where Saint Mother Theodore Guerin overcame personal struggles to establish the Sisters of Providence and an academy now known as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. You’ll learn about Mother Theodore’s legacy being lived out daily by the Sisters of Providence through acts of love, mercy and justice.

You can personalize your experience with spiritual reflection at many sacred spaces. The sisters offer indoor, outdoor, self-guided and guided tours during your pilgrimage.

Learn more about sustainable living and being merciful to all of creation by visiting White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence. Visit the gentle alpacas and learn about fiber arts.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is beautiful in all seasons. Schedule a pilgrimage today by calling 812-535-2945.

No matter your faith tradition, let the Sisters of Providence offer you a spiritual gift of renewal for the Year of Mercy and beyond.

(Originally published in the Winter 2016 issue of HOPE magazine.)