Reflections
Share in the wisdom of the Providence community. Be inspired, grow in your faith and find practical spiritual guidance in these reflections from Sisters of Providence and Providence Associates.
Coming of age with Vatican II
On Sept. 12, 1963, the Sisters of Providence welcomed 58 of us as postulants. We arrived with a small black suitcase and a foot locker filled with a variety of personal supplies, regulation nightgowns, black stockings, nun shoes, men’s white…
My most challenging and most transformative years
When the Second Vatican Council opened in 1962 I had just been appointed Director of Novices for our Congregation. This meant that I had accepted the responsibility of passing on to another generation the traditions, practices, prayer forms and life…
Mary, our companion: New Year’s 2013
When we gather for Eucharistic liturgy on January 1, we will celebrate the feast of Mary, the Mother of God. How appropriate to keep her in our view as we begin a new year! She has been our companion all during…
Light the candles! Christmas 2012
Like a dull ache, memory of the massacre of the children and adults of Sandy Hook School accompanies me everywhere and all the time these days. It’s one of those times when I have to keep reminding myself that more…
Senior jubilarians – 80 years and counting
Editor’s note: Reflection from Sister Denise Wilkinson, general superior, given on Dec. 8 during Eucharistic Liturgy to sisters, associates and visitors. While this message is specifically for the sisters celebrating their senior jubilee, the message resonates universally to all God’s…
Always count your blessings …
Sometime after my mom retired, she “got into” ceramics. She and her friends went to classes taught by a woman in my mom’s neighborhood. For the most part, they applied glazes to clay pieces of various shapes and sizes. Many…
One continuous and continuing flow: All Saints and All Souls Days 2012
For some time now, the celebrations of All Saints and All Souls days have sort of morphed together in my mind, each feast blended into the other. The distinction between the two feasts has more or less disappeared for me.…
Asking questions: Feast Day 2012
A couple of years ago, two sisters provided me with something to smile over, puzzle about, and learn from. At the time, we Sisters of Providence were in the midst of making an important decision. As always, there were different…
Why I love Mother Theodore
I’m not the kind of person who idolizes others, since nobody’s perfect; so I’ve acquired a habit of giving people I admire honorary status as one of my relatives. (You can love Great-Grandma without agreeing with everything she says at…
The power of this place
Why do people go to shrines and make pilgrimages? What happens to them while in the presence of a saint or sacred person? When I have asked several people why they came — why come to this shrine of Saint…
A Priceless Gift
This article is reprinted from the summer 2012 issue of HOPE. Two years ago when I visited another congregation of women religious, I was struck by a quote of their foundress which seemed to appear every place I turned. The…
Hope and healing for Earth: Earth Day 2012
Anyone who knows the Sisters of Providence and our Providence Associates knows of our commitment to hope and healing of Earth. We channel much of our energy in this regard through the ministry of White Violet Center for Eco-justice. However,…