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.

Tiny Tim: security at the Woods

For 48 years, Andrew “Tiny Tim” O’Dwyer was the face of security at the motherhouse and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. A large-statured man, Andrew hailed from County Galway, Ireland. During his long tenure at the Woods, Tiny Tim came to know…

New statue of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin with children dedicated

All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Ill., commissioned a statue from Providence Associate Teresa Clark, who is also the artist of the official Saint Mother Theodore Guerin statue recently installed at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. (A really beautiful miniature version of the…

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Statue dedication at All Saints Cemetery

Sisters of Providence, Providence Associates and Candidate-Associates and friends gathered at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Ill., on Sept. 29, 2009, for the dedication of a new Saint Mother Theodore Guerin statue created by Providence Associate and artist Teresa…

Sister Paula Damiano

Download Complete Interview with Sister Paula Damiano Q: Why did you choose to become a Sister of Providence? A: I had wanted to be a sister since I was 3 years old. My aunt worked at a Catholic hospital. She…

Ciboria from Mother Theodore’s time

See photos below Deep in the stacks of the Sisters of Providence Archives is a wonderful treasure of ciboria used during the time of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. A ciborium (singular form of ciboria) is a covered vessel for holding…

1956: a year of commemoration

The year 1956 was one of remembrance and celebration for the Sisters of Providence. This year marked the 100th anniversary of the death of Mother Theodore Guerin, who died May 14, 1856. The year also commemorated the 150th anniversary of…

Congregation centenary treasures

One of the boxes in the Sisters of Providence Archives has treasures from the 100th anniversary of the Congregation in 1940. There are several novelty items that were given away as part of the celebration. One of the most unique…

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Rhythms and Tension

Rhythms and Tension was published by the Sisters of Providence in 1981. This booklet shares the stories of several sisters of a variety of ages and ministries. The introduction of this publication explains its purpose: “Thomas Merton once wrote that…

Sister Barbara Bluntzer

Sister Barbara Bluntzer knows just how to start and end her day. “Saint Mother Theodore (Guerin) said, ‘Send your heart a thousand times a day to the tabernacle.’ I try to do that, maybe not a thousand times, but very…

Sister Catherine Alberta Kunkler

“ … the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.” (Luke 22:26b) “Today we talk much about the nobility of service for others, but strangely enough, few want to…