Sisters of Providence

Sisters of Providence

The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, are a congregation of Roman Catholic women religious (sisters) who minister throughout the United States and Taiwan. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin founded the Sisters of Providence in 1840. The congregation has a mission of being God's Providence in the world by committing to performing works of love, mercy and justice in service among God's people.

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and fear

The short journey from Terre Haute to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., took forever as Mother Theodore and her sister-companions were forced to wait several hours for a ferry to cross the Wabash River. Once across the Wabash, Mother Theodore and her traveling…

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and Terre Haute

Arriving in Terre Haute, Ind., the afternoon of Oct. 21, 1840, Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions spent the night in the city. She writes about Terre Haute: “Like all American cities it [Terre Haute] is laid out on a large…

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and smoking

Traveling by stagecoach from Vincennes to Terre Haute, Ind., was another arduous and dangerous leg of Mother Theodore Guerin’s journey to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. Rain made matters even worse. When the stagecoach overturned and the driver was unable to upright the…

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and Vincennes

Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions stayed with the Sisters of Charity while in Vincennes, Ind. She writes about Vincennes: “At Vincennes, especially, one might think she was in Noah’s ark. The confused noise is deafening. The two pianos that the…

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and corduroy roads

Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions traveled by stagecoach from Evansville to Vincennes, Ind. She writes about this uncomfortable trip: “ … we entered a thick forest where we saw the most singular kind of road that could be imagined. It…

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and the Ohio River

On Oct. 4, 1840, Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions saw the Ohio River for the last time. Mother Theodore reflects upon this: “Nothing troubled the charm and silence of this solitude. Making the most serious reflections on what we beheld, and…

Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and mosquitoes

In Cincinnati, Mother Theodore Guerin and her companion-sisters found a blood-thirsty mob. She humorously writes: “We were far from supposing that, in the midst of the city where we had been so well received, we were to find a multitude of enemies…

Sister Ann Kathleen Brawley

“Sister Ann Kathleen said that her greatest joy had been her opportunity to assist those who came to the Archives seeking materials in order to tell the story of the Congregation.” Preserving the Congregation’s history was extremely important to Sister…

Sister Rita Clare Gerardot

Download Complete Interview with Sister Rita Clare Gerardot Q. Why did you choose to become a Sister of Providence? A. I received a personal invitation from one of the teachers from Central Catholic High School (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Sister Mary…

Sister Kathryn (Loretta Michael) McNulty

“Sister Kathryn was always concerned for ‘small people,’ especially the underdog, people who were otherwise forgotten.” “We are here this morning to remember and celebrate the life of our dear sister and friend, Sister Kathryn McNulty. Her friends, sisters she…