
The original Earth Mother
Sister Helen was the original Earth Mother.

Sister Helen was the original Earth Mother.

I took Biology from Sister Helen [Vinton] as a sophomore at Ladywood-St. Agnes High School [in Indianapolis] and the most memorable lesson I learned from her was a curiosity and appreciation for the minute miracles that occur in nature. For…
Something tells me that Taos New Mexico artist JK (Jan) Lamkin and Saint Mother Theodore Guerin would really hit it off.

Mother Theodore Guerin came to the United States from France in 1840, an immigrant. Like many immigrants today she did not speak English, she knew very little about the United States and its customs.
Infant Jesus, born among us as a helpless baby, … come into our hearts this day and teach us the meaning of simplicity and how dependent we are on others. … come into our minds this day that we may…

The party was going strong, but Marianne was not there! I inquired and was told that she was out in the courtyard. Were we ever surprised and pleased that just at that moment Marianne was being presented with a pocket watch belonging to her aunt, Sister of Providence Marion Celeste Bisch.

As a kid, saints always fascinated me. I liked hearing their stories from my Sister of Providence teachers and reading their stories on my own. The martyrs, in my young mind, were the best! I really liked those stories and reveled in the fantasy that someday I, too, would die for my faith, just as they did — burned at the stake or fed to the lions. Well, forget that! Reality soon set in and with it a desire to stay as far away from that kind of suffering (make that any kind of suffering) as possible!

On day three prior to the Oct. 25 public opening of the shrine, I’d like to focus on just three countries that have played a significant role in the 174 years since our foundation in 1840: France, United States and China. From France to America to China, the call to mission is basic to our history.

Hospitality is a tradition the Sisters of Providence take to heart. Says one recent guest, “I soon found out that staying at Owens was like having 30 moms around me. I felt so safe, so accepted and secure. They even leave things at my bedroom door: a poem I might enjoy, a fresh-baked muffin, a cup of homemade soup, a book to read. They ask about my day."

As the only woman reviewing cases in our tribunal, I feel I balance the male perspective. I am a good listener and feel that I relate to people with empathy. If a case is particularly difficult, I will put it aside for a while and reread it later. Often I have new insights in doing so that strengthen the case.