Sisters of Providence redesign website

The first phase of a project that began nearly a year ago was unveiled recently as the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods displayed a new-look website in early June.

Several staffers in the sisters’ Mission Advancement Department were tasked with creating the new look. The goal was to make the new site more reader-friendly as well as more visual appealing.

The group which headed the website redesign came up with a core strategy before implementation which simply stated the goal of the redesign was to “Provide a welcoming, enjoyable, inspiring space for the Providence community to connect, collaborate and grow in order to be Providence wherever they are.”

The sisters’ last website redesign took place approximately five years ago.

General Superior Sister Dawn Tomaszewski said the redesign offers much of the same – and new – information, with a stunning new look.

“People have always told us they love our website,” Sister Dawn said. “They have appreciated the breadth of the information provided about us, our ministries and activities, our history and our foundress.

“I think they will find in our new website that same breadth of information but presented in a way that is more visual, more accessible, and, perhaps as a result, more interesting and engaging.”

She particularly found the visual displays and new color scheme delightful.

“When I first looked at our new website, what came to my mind was the line from a Robert Frost poem, ‘The Woods is lovely, dark and deep,’” Sister Dawn said. “The new colors and images presented on our website are deep and rich and really do reflect our Woodland roots.”

The redesign offers several categories which detail the ministries and history of the Congregation. It also offers catalogs of information in an inspirational tone while engaging visitors to join the Sisters of Providence in their mission of love, mercy and justice among God’s people. Visitors can also enjoy many new categories, including an entire section on visiting the Woods and the new Find a Sister search, along with many inspirational quotations spread throughout the site.

“I hear our sisters saying that every time they explore our new website, they find something new and learn something new about each other and our ministries, our associates and friends,” Sister Dawn said.

“Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan made famous the line, ‘The medium is the message.’ In which case, our new website sends a message that we do joyfully live out our mission to bring love, mercy and justice to our world. In this way, the site provides inspiration for us, and I hope inspiration for all those who will visit it.”