Meet some newer members

Maité Rodriguez-Mora

Hometown — San Juan, Puerto Rico

Entrance date and age at time — September 14, 2024, Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Education and work prior to entering — Before entering, I served as the Office Manager of the Abbey Guest Center at Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri (Benedictine Monastery), Catechist for Evangelization and Bible Group at Our Lady of the Americas Parish at Des Moines, Iowa, as a volunteer.

Education/ministries since joining — During my postulant year, I have been serving at Mission Advancement, Providence Food Pantry and visiting the sisters in health care. Apart from receiving instruction in Providence Spirituality, Sisters of Providence Constitutions and education in the Inter-Community Pre-Novitiate about community living, discernment, Second Vatican Council among other themes.

Interests and hobbies — I am passionate about catechizing adults, Liturgy, calligraphy and traveling among other interests.

What attracted you to religious life with the Sisters of Providence — One of the characteristics that attracted me to the Sisters of Providence was the joyfulness, learning of the charism of the love, mercy and justice clarified and cement my interest in the community.

Ann Duong

Hometown – I was born in Vietnam and my hometown in America is St. Louis, Missouri.

Entrance date and age at time – I entered on September 14, 2024, and I was 43-years-old.

Education and work prior to entering – I have a bachelor’s degree in Family and Youth Development. I also graduated from the American School of Flower Design and have a couple of certificates in cooking, catechism and youth ministry. I am a preschool teacher, youth coordinator and floral designer. I have 15 years of work experience at Queen of Angels Daycare as a preschool teacher in Springfield, Missouri. I also taught preschool at St. Theresa Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, for one year. Moreover, I have 12 years of experience teaching as a catechist at St. Agnes Cathedral. In addition, I have been a youth leader for seven years in a Vietnamese parish. Furthermore, I have worked with various youth groups, Vietnamese and Americans, in various churches for 25 years. Moreover, I had a chance to coordinate many retreats and camps for different youth groups. Also, I have been a creative and well-organized person as a floral designer for different churches for 25 years. My style of arrangement varies from east to west. I have been volunteering to decorate at many churches. I have already decorated many events, funerals and weddings.

Education ministries since joining – I am volunteering at the food pantry, White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, Lourdes Hall, Guerin Park, Mission Advancement and many ministry sites in different places.

Interests and hobbies – I have many hobbies, such as arranging flowers, decorating, dancing, singing, playing piano, cooking and arts and crafts.

What attracted you to religious life with the Sisters of Providence – I was attracted to religious life with the Sisters of Providence while I was engaged with them. I could see their lives as a living witness to be Christ’s heart, hand and feet to other people. The Sisters always want to reach out and help people. They live the charism of “Love, Mercy, and Justice,” to the best of their abilities and always find a way to improve it. Their love, prayers, community life, and ministries also attracted me and moved me when I decided to enter this community.

Sister Stephanie Rivas

Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas

Entrance date and age at time: Sept. 10, 2023; 36 years old

Education and work prior to entering: Bachelor’s in business management; master of education in early childhood. I’ve worked in a variety of areas from education, to working with babies, to special education with children and adults, to the enrollment process in higher education, to accompanying others on their spiritual journeys.

Education/ministries since joining: discerning that now

Interests and hobbies: music: listening to, singing and learning instruments; art: drawing, painting, coloring, art journaling; reading; watching movies; laughing; being outdoors

What attracted you to religious life with the Sisters of Providence? What attracted me to the Sisters of Providence was their authenticity, humor, acceptance. The Sisters have always been authentic in witnessing their faith. Faith for the Sisters of Providence is not just praying in a chapel, but praying outside with alpacas, with a leaf or by water, or doing a meditation about food before we eat a meal. Not only is the authenticity present in their lives, but it happens daily in our conversations about mental health, work, social justice issues, how we take care of the earth and spirituality. What stood out for me about humor was during our Come and See retreat, one of the Sisters mentioned about laughing in community which I hadn’t heard before on other vocation retreats. Also, when I visited we cooked in Providence Hall and we would dance. Lastly, acceptance of mind, spirit and body. Vividly I remember coming downstairs to the dining hall and one of the sisters tells me, “There you are! Beautiful as ever!” I received that comment with love in my t-shirt, hat and jeans, on my way to work cleaning alpaca fiber for a few hours. 

Sister Leslie Dao

Hometown: I was born in Viet Nam. I grew up in California and most recently lived in St. Louis.

Entrance date and age at time: Sept. 21, 2021; 44 years old

Education and work prior to entering: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology; Bachelor of Science in Social Work; ministered as a pastoral associate for the Immigrant & Refugee Ministry in St. Louis

Education/ministries since joining: Volunteer at Food Pantry and Providence Health Care

Interests and hobbies: crafts, puzzles and caring for indoor plants

What attracted you to religious life with the Sisters of Providence? The charism and the welcoming and joyful spirit.

Sister Jessica Vitente

Hometown: Pomona, California

Entrance date and age at time: Sept. 10, 2018; 34

Education and work prior to entering: Associates of Science in Accounting from Mt. San Antonio College; Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from California State University of Long Beach; worked in sales for a distributing company.

Education/ministries since joining: living in formation house; music lessons; volunteer Helping hands, Linden Leaf gift shop, Sisters of Providence Mission Advancement office, Catholic Campus Minister at the Newman Center for University of Evansville in Indiana.

Interests and hobbies: running, biking, hiking, dancing, writing in my journal, reading, watching NBA and TV shows

What attracted you to religious life? I attended my first ever Come and See weekend at the Woods and it was in conjunction with the Sisters of Providence’s 175th Anniversary of existence. Since then I have witnessed how radical women religious have responded to the call of religious life with such strength and courage. They were so joyful and happy with each other and their daily ministries. Then I thought to myself I want to have a similar story. So, I stayed connected with many Sisters of Providence. And as time went, finally I came to the conclusion that Providence has been guiding me to follow the path to religious life with the Sisters of Providence. I desire to grow deeper in my relationship with God, continue the common mission of justice, love and mercy. God gave me a purpose that is bigger and greater than myself.

“I was attracted by how lively the sisters are and how they live a profound life. They have a purpose and I have a deep desire to also live a life with purpose.”

Why did you choose the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods? I don’t think I chose the Sisters of Providence, God chose it for me. After several months of the daunting call to explore religious life, I finally gave in and strongly considered the idea. There were many orders and communities to choose and begin the process of discerning. I attended the Los Angeles Religious of Education Congress in Anaheim, California. The very first booth I visited at the Anaheim convention center was the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. Since then I stayed connected with sisters I met.

Sister Emily TeKolste

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Entrance date and age at time: Sept. 7, 2016; Age 28

Education and work prior to entering: bachelor’s degree in sociology from Xavier University; worked in farm-based education, nonprofit management, nannying, entrepreneurship and publishing (web content development)

Education/ministries since joining:
Living in formation community, volunteer ministry in Sisters of Providence Mission Advancement office and as an activities volunteer at Providence Health Care, volunteer at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, teaching sociology and religion at a Catholic high school. Currently a community organizer at NETWORK Catholic social justice lobby in Washington, D.C.

Interests and hobbies: social justice, reading, soccer, running, yoga, writing, TV

What attracted you to religious life with the Sisters of Providence? Relationship. I got to know the Sisters of Providence while living with Sister Tracey Horan before she joined the community, and through her met many other Sisters of Providence. I saw the life and joy sisters exuded and how much fun they had. I saw many sisters engaged deeply with issues that I also care deeply about. And I experienced them calling me to live more deeply within myself – whether it was with them or not.