Sister Jan Craven

Sister Jan Craven

Sister Jan is a Sister of Providence. Currently she ministers as co-director of Providence Spirituality and Conference Center and as director of shrines at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Reflecting on Crises with Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

"My very dear and beloved Daughters … I have confidence that God will not permit any of you to be attacked by the epidemic. Be cheerful, kind to one another; having nothing on your conscience that could trouble you. Do not fast. Let your food be wholesome and well prepared."

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Pray with Our Lady of Providence, Queen of the Home

If we believe in God who is intensely personal, taking flesh in mothers and fathers, children and babies, in all of creation, then we believe in Jesus, born of Mary, who emerged from among us to open our eyes to the presence of God working in all creation.

Grandmother taught me how love always wins

I thought it was a very innocent question when I asked my grandmother how she fell in love with my grandfather. She sat me down and said "first of all I will tell you about your great-grandfather.

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Pouring out your heart in prayer

Remember our friend Jonah from the Jewish scriptures? He poured out his heart in prayer, saying, “In my distress I called to my God, and God answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,…

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10 years a saint! Now what?

But I wonder: what would Mother Theodore think of being a saint? Would she be uncomfortable with all the attention? Would she feel like it was something she didn’t deserve? If given a choice would she refuse the honor? Mother Theodore once said, “What have we to do in order to become saints? Nothing extraordinary; nothing more than we do everyday. Only do it for [God’s] love.”

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Do you ever really know?

We really have no idea what effect our actions have on people when we enact them … until years later when they write you and tell you what a profound experience they had because of the power of a saint.

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Forgiveness and mercy

Forgiveness is a process, and a slow one at that. We cannot rush forgiveness. If we do it becomes insincere. It takes time, patience and mercy and it is never an easy journey to make.

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