Becoming a Providence Associate: the journey begins

Searching, seeking, staying connected, following a call.

The 24 women and men who came to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on October 19, 2019, to begin the yearlong journey toward becoming Providence Associates came ready for something more. They came from Indiana, California, Nebraska, Illinois, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

See a photo album from the day here.

Each will spend the coming year walking and sharing their journey with a Sister of Providence or Providence Associate companion.

Why we are becoming Providence Associates

At the orientation each shared a bit about what brought them to seek a deeper relationship with the Sisters of Providence as a Providence Associate.

One said he was searching for what God was calling him to. Being stubborn and trying to ignore God’s call was not working. So he came to the Providence community to allow God to take charge.

Another said she wanted to be part of a wonderful community who loves and serves others.

One was seeking a way to stay connected to the Sisters of Providence, to bring their mission to her home state.

Several said they were searching for what God wants them to be, what God was calling them to next.

“God is tugging at my heart and I am ready to rise to the next level,” said another.

A deep connection and admiration for Saint Mother Theodore Guerin brought another.

One woman said she is from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Village. Her ancestors moved to the area in 1842 to be near the Sisters of Providence. She said she believes in the Sisters of Providence advocacy work and so is continuing her family’s tradition.

A couple of candidates said they had come to the Woods for spiritual programs and retreats and then wanted to get more involved and learn more from the sisters.

Some participants had been connected to the sisters since childhood; others had just met the community.

Stillness, service, mission

One person wanted to reorient her priorities, another wanted to learn to depend less on her own planning and more on God’s Providence.

One candidate said she recently retired as a nurse but felt she had more service to give. She hopes to find that here.

Another person said she came seeking stillness.

One candidate said he felt a deep connection to the sister’s message and mission and came to find what he could do to help.

Two candidates said they had worked at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods at one time and they fell in love. “This place is part of who I am now,” said one.  

After years of service work, two candidates said they realized it was time to do the spiritual work.

Searching, seeking, staying connected, following a call.

We pray that our Providence Associate candidates of 2019 will find what they are seeking, and more, in the years ahead.

Want to join the community of Providence? Learn more about the Providence Associate relationship at ProvidenceAssociates.org