
- About
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Love, mercy, justice
The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are a community of vowed Catholic women religious. Inspired by our foundress Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, we are passionate about our lives of prayer, education, service and advocacy.
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- Justice
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Break boundaries, create hope
Spirituality and justice go hand-in-hand. We are committed to walking with those on the margins. Join us on our journey to make Earth better for all.
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- Be inspired
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What inspires you?
We all need a little spiritual inspiration sometimes. Let the wisdom of our Providence Community support you on your journey.
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- Visit
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Experience the Woods
From the moment you step onto the grounds at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, you know you're somewhere special. There's something for everyone at the Woods.
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- Get involved
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Where do you fit in?
Reconnect or find new opportunities with the Providence Community. Volunteer in one of our many ministries, be an intern on the farm, explore job opportunities or reminisce about your alma mater.
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- Join
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Join the Providence Family
Live joyfully! Single, Catholic women ages 18-42 are invited to explore a fulfilling life as a Sister of Providence. All women and men of faith are invited to join the family of Providence as Providence Associates.
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- Prayer Requests
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Features
Welcome to our features page. Here, we will share with you updates on what is currently happening within our Congregation. Feel free to take time to explore the area.

A fresh connection
Thanks to a national program and a pair of keen eyes, students at St. Patrick’s School in Terre Haute, Indiana, have an opportunity to eat fresh, organic vegetables from White Violet Center for Eco-Justice during lunch.

Growing at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice
"I was challenged to learn new things and accept new realities. I was surrounded by people who were patient and kind and who challenged me to be a better person," said Providence Associate Kaitlyn Willy of her internship experience at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice.

Educating toward healing with music
“I wanted to find a career where I can get up in the morning and be excited about going to work,” Nate said. Now he is making history as one of the first on-campus male students at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College while he pursues his love for music and healing in the music therapy program.

Newsnotes
Fun at the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin FEST Approximately 200 people attended the 2015 Saint Mother Theodore Guerin FEST, which also coincided with the Sisters of Providence 175-year anniversary last October. Several activities took place during the two-day festival, including…

You help Providence in the Desert make a difference!
Imagine what it would be like coming to a new country, trying to make a better life for yourself and for your children. Imagine how difficult that would be if everyone around you spoke a language you did not know. Because of your support, Providence in the Desert enables a parent to speak confidently to her child's teacher. A grandmother can understand what her doctor tells her about her health. A laborer can understand the people he works for, allowing him a better job.

Sister Joni becomes who God created her to be as a Sister of Providence
“You enter community and spend three years learning who you are,” Sister Joni said. “The masks that we build start to peel away and you become the person God created you to be.” In her new ministry Sister Joni is reconnecting Saint Patrick School in Terre Haute with the Sisters of Providence, the order that founded the school in 1882.

Reinventing ourselves as Sisters of Providence
So, I ask myself, why would I want to retire when there are still so many possibilities of God’s Providence yet to enjoy just beyond the next horizon? It’s a no-brainer – I will just keep on listening to God’s invitations and saying “yes!”

Sister Loretta Picucci
“I think what we do creates hope, because it gives them confidence in themselves. It gives them confidence that they can learn. They find out that they can learn the language, but they also find out that even when they make mistakes, they are learning, so it’s OK to keep trying," says Sister Loretta Picucci of her ministry teaching English to immigrant farm workers at Providence in the Desert in California.

Bridging transition and loss
Sister Joseph Ellen Keitzer serves in pastoral ministry for St. Angela Parish in Chicago — a Catholic Church that was closed 10 years ago.
No, Sister Joseph Ellen hasn’t taken leave of her senses! Her role, as she describes it, is “gathering the lost sheep.”

Our Lady of Providence Shrine celebrates 90 years
Learn how Jesus mother Mary came to be honored under the title of Our Lady of Providence, Queen of the Home, in a shrine at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Volunteers find friendship, inspiration, joy
When you give, it can be amazing what you receive in return. This is what three Providence Associates of the Sisters of Providence have found. The three spend a week at a time at least twice a year volunteering at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Providence Associate Ann Kevin Thesing says volunteering at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods feeds her. “It inspires me. It fills me up. It centers me,” she says. “It’s a chance to soak up the sisters. It inspires me to watch how they live with faith and trust no matter what. You see astounding things in health care,” Ann Kevin said. “It has just been an enormous gift to me.”

Baking with Sister Ann Kevin O’Connor
The novice rolls Sister Ann Kevin into the kitchen in her wheelchair and helps her put on an apron. Sister Ann Kevin goes straight to the recipe on the table and gets right to making suggestions about how to begin. It’s obvious she’s in her element. Sister Ann Kevin shares her wisdom, her life stories and her love of baking with Novice Sister Tracey Horan.
