The Church of the Immaculate Conception: The Beginning

Note: The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, invite you all to visit the Woods this year, the 2025 Jubilee. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis designated the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin as official pilgrimage sites this year. During this year, we will place focus on both sites, starting with the beginning of the Church.

Can you believe the history of the Church of the Immaculate Conception dates back 139 years? The following comes from “The History of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Volume II,” which was written by Sister Eugenia Logan, SP.

A New Church

In 1886, the Congregation, under the leadership of General Superior Mother Euphrasie Hinkle, elected to erect a new church at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Prior to that, since 1862, the Sisters of Providence utilized a small frame brick chapel.

Before the sisters were to begin construction of the new church, many buildings had to be moved, including utility buildings and the brick chapel. In addition, many trees had to be cut down as well as the wooden walk which connected Providence Hall to the “Institute.”

The first foundation stones for the church arrived at the Woods on March 18, 1886.

More Moving

Only seven days later, more buildings had to be moved to make way for the church, including a bakery (which had only been recently built) and the men’s house.

According to Sister Eugenia’s writings, the moving of the buildings took 40 days. Because of this, the Sisters of Providence used the Community Room in Providence Hall for their chapel.

In a letter to Mme. De la Corbiniere dated June 8, 1886, Mother Euphrasie described the church as “Romanesque,” while detailing the measurements of the building.

The First ‘Cornerstone’

The Congregation elected to lay the cornerstone on Sept. 14, 1886, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Bishop Silas Chatard arrived that morning to arrange documents, lists of participants, newspaper clippings, coins and other pertinent information to be placed in a copper box prepared by architects D.A. Bohlen and Son, Indianapolis, to insert in the stone.

At 4 p.m., on Sept. 14, 1886, the Bishop – along with 12 other priests, students and Sisters of Providence followed a procession to the northwest corner of the foundation. After the stone was laid, Bishop Chatard addressed the crowd.

Where is the Stone?

At the time of writing the book, Sister Eugenia pointed out that many Sisters of Providence had asked where the location of the cornerstone is as it is not visible. The cornerstone was covered over by masonry.

She did write that three Sisters of Providence, Sister Agnes Clare Cassidy, Sister Geraldine Mullen and Sister Catherine Marie Daily pointed out the location of where the cornerstone was as all three of them were in the novitiate at the time of the dedication and took part in the procession.

Stay tuned, there’s more to come.

We invite all pilgrims to visit the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. We offer guided and private tours.