Public invited to Feast Day of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Community and Providence Associates invite people of all faith traditions to join them in person or virtually for the 11 a.m., Mass on Friday, Oct. 3, in celebration of the Feast Day of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.

The celebratory Mass will take place in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, located 10 minutes northwest of downtown Terre Haute. The service is open to the public.

A feast day in the Catholic tradition is a day set aside to commemorate the life of saintly individuals or a specific event.

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin founded the Sisters of Providence in 1840. She was born Anne-Therese Guerin on Oct. 2, 1798, in the village of Etables in Brittany, France. She was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 15, 2006, and her feast day was designated for Oct. 3. She is the first Indiana saint and the eighth Catholic saint from the United States.

Mother Theodore came to the United States from France in 1840 to establish a Congregation of women religious and to teach pioneer girls. After a journey of more than three months, she and her five sister companions arrived at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods to a dense forest and primitive conditions.

From those origins, a vibrant Congregation and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College were given life and are sustained to this day through Mother Theodore’s foresight, legacy and energy, which continues to motivate the generations of Sisters of Providence who have followed in her footsteps.

Many of the sisters’ ministries today focus on maintaining a vital presence in educational settings, working for justice, preserving the environment, health care for the sick, assisting those in need, spiritual direction and a commitment to non-violence.

People throughout the world continue to contact the Congregation for information about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, and to request the sisters pray for their personal intentions through her intercession.

All are welcome to visit the grounds or pray at Saint Mother Theodore’s Shrine. Pilgrimages, retreats and tours may be arranged by contacting Providence Spirituality & Conference Center at 812-535-2925 or by emailing pvctr@spsmw.org.

For more information, click here or call 812-535-2952 or email pvctr@spsmw.org.