On Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 25, a large number of Sisters of Providence gathered in St. Joseph’s Chapel in Owens Hall to share in a simple prayer of “missioning” and blessing for Sisetr Arrianne Whittaker as she transitioned into her mission novice year.
Sister Arrianne shared these reflections:
“When I reflect on my experience of the missioning prayer ritual, it can be summed up in two words — sacred connection — a sacred time, in a sacred place, with a community of women who share a sacred spirit.
As we began the prayer service with our Prayer of Reunion I felt that sacred spirit surround me. I felt connected in a way I had not noticed before. Maybe it has slowly, unassumingly seeped into my bones over the past two and a half years, but this day it was very clear to me … I am a Sister of Providence!
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Writer and management consultant Margaret Wheatley says, “There is no power equal to a community discovering what it cares about.”
This line came into my mind as I was scurrying around the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods campus last Saturday taking pictures of a community caring about the fact that people in their neighborhood are hungry. Officially called the Hunger Bust Fun Run/Walk, the event was sponsored by St. Mary’s Village Parish with all proceeds going to support Providence Food Pantry, a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Providence.
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Happy feast of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin! Here at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods we will celebrate the feast with Mass at 11 a.m. (EDT) in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. All are invited!
Pope John Paul II described Mother Theodore as the perfect blend of “humanness and holiness.”
Today, we invite you to reflect on her niece, Marie-Thérèse’s, memories of Mother Theodore and those two qualities. After all, who knows us better than family?
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Invite someone you know to consider life as a Sister of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods! Single, Catholic women ages 18-42 are invited to learn and ask questions about a life committed to breaking boundaries and creating hope as a Sister of Providence during a discernment weekend Oct. 18-20 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
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Two of the most privileged and sacred moments I enjoy in my ministry as general superior are receiving the vows of our newer members and praying the blessing prayer at the funeral of a deceased Sister of Providence. Each experience touches me deeply and evokes feelings of profound wonder and gratitude.
I’m thinking the above because I just returned from Taiwan and first profession of vows of one our Asian novices. What a joyful experience!
Sister Regina Gallo approached her recent skydiving experience through a spiritual lens: The safety of my “normal” prayer space with my lit candles and cup of tea or warm milk was gone. I had to trust my tandem instructor literally with my life. I had to trust my God and angels to guide me every second of the way. The biggest piece … I was NOT in control of anything. I simply had to trust and surrender; and it wasn’t simple.
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Where can I run from your love? If I hide in the farthest corner of the sea, you are there, guiding me, protecting me from harm. The bottomless depth of your maternal love… The sea is madre. Sister Carol Nolan, who ministers in California, writes about her retreat near the Pacific Ocean.
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Sister Ann Paula Pohlman and Sister Margaret Louise Bernard were planning a day of adventure at the Port of Tampa (Fla.) to see some tour ships that were open at…
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It must be something to see, Sister Cathy Buster muscling around a 26-foot U-Haul truck. She would never be mistaken for a husky football player. But, if you know her…
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In our increasingly violent world such a prayer as the Litany of Non-Violence delivers a powerful message, and today, Aug. 6, is a particularly appropriate day for us to meet or become reacquainted with that message. On this date in 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan and three days later, on Aug. 9, another was dropped on Nagasaki. For the sake of all humanity, let us pray such events are never repeated.
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Sister Mary Maloney asks, “Are you different after you pray?” in her practical reflection on a part of Sunday’s Gospel.
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Help through counseling brings one woman’s life from darkness to light. Sister Patty Fillenwarth and her ministry at Providence Family Services in Chicago help real people who have nowhere else to turn to transform themselves.
Read moreWelcome to our blog. Here, we will share with you stories of our lives as Sisters of Providence. We invite Providence Associates to write in this space also. We hope you find these posts enjoyable and inspirational.
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