What we do

“I feel a sense of mission with the Sisters of Providence. I know that my ministry is a part of our ministry, that we are in this work together. I learn so much about what the sisters are doing in and for the world and feel at least a small part of that.”
— Providence Associate Marilyn Webb, Brownsburg, Indiana

Leaning on each other: Sister Kay Kelly and Candidate Patti Burris during a walk.

What would it mean for you to become a Providence Associate? As Providence Associates, we strive to live in our individual lives the Sisters of Providence vision of helping to create a more just and hope-filled world through prayer, education, service and advocacy. How we each do this is as different as each of us. Some of the areas especially important in our lives are:

Mission

“As a Providence Associate I have gained a deeper awareness of Providence in my everyday life. This awareness has slowly and gently invaded what I do and who I am, making most of my everyday moments graced moments.”
— Connie Schnapf, Newburgh, Indiana

Providence Associate Deanna Rustin of Evansville, Indiana, spends some time visiting with Sister Suzanne Buthod in the health care facility at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

What would you do as a Providence Associate? You get to decide. There is plenty of diversity in our lives as Providence Associates. Each of us chooses a commitment that fits with our own life, work, abilities and circumstances.

Some commit to deeper prayer. Others to being more intentional to the mission of Providence in our daily lives and work. Some commit to volunteering either with the Sisters of Providence and their ministries or to charities and causes in their area. Some commit to taking on an active role in their Providence Circle, a small community of sisters and associates. The choices for living out the mission of the Sisters of Providence as a Providence Associate are endless. You can decide where God is calling you as a Providence Associate.

Spirituality

“It is a spur to my spirituality, to not allow myself to rest on current accomplishments and beliefs, but to stretch myself to new contours, expanding my faith in an active way.”
— Providence Associate Lori Strawn, Wichita, Kansas

Providence Associates Barbara Cottrell and Bill Adams pause for prayer during a gathering of Providence Associates.

Do you need a boost on your spiritual journey? The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and their motherhouse at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods offer the Providence Associate community a powerhouse of spiritual support.

We Providence Associates have many opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal with the sisters. During each of our candidate year, we are paired with a Sister of Providence or Providence Associate companion. The two walk together through units on spirituality, mission, prayer and other areas important to the community of Providence. As Providence Associates, we are also invited to join in retreats and programs, prayer services and more at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Together we support one another in prayer and we all benefit from sharing in and deepening our lives of faith.

Learn more about Providence spirituality.

Community

“This community has healed me and given me room to grow. Being a Providence Associate gives me a focus and a community that holds me accountable. ”
— Providence Associate Kaitlyn Willy, Denton, Texas

Are you looking for your community? You may find it as a Providence Associate! Community is key to the life of the Sisters of Providence. As Providence Associates, we don’t live in community with the sisters, but we do share in and become part of a spiritual community. We grow in community through yearly retreats, annual meetings and Providence Circles (small communities of associates and sisters). Weekly emails with prayer support, updates and opportunities support also help build community within our Providence family.

Providence Associate Kaitlyn Willy (below in black) shares how she found her community as a Providence Associate.

Providence Associates join hands in prayer during a gathering.

Justice

“The Providence community is welcoming, spiritually centered in Providence, and justice orientated.”
— Providence Associate Diann Neu, Silver Spring, Maryland

Providence Associates brainstorm ideas for caring for Earth after reflecting on the Sisters of Providence land ethic document.

Being informed and working toward justice are important in our Providence community. You can read about some of our justice efforts here.

Are you interested in working toward a more just world with us? Inquire about becoming a Providence Associate today!

See some photos of Providence Associates in action below.

Providence Associate Joann Kennelly of Gardena, California, second from left, lives out her commitment as a Providence Associate in her retired years by ministering to senior citizens. From delivering meals on wheels, to planning outings such as the one here to an art museum, to visiting the sick, Joann extends the mission and ministry of the Providence community to her area of the world.

One way that Providence Associate William Pouncy lives out his commitment as a Providence Associate is in his ministry as a deacon in the archdiocese of Chicago.

Providence Associate Maureen Baca of Albuquerque, New Mexico, (standing, shown here at a meeting of Providence Associates) strives to do her work as a consultant in a spirit of love, mercy and justice.

One way that Providence Associate Marilyn Neuman, center, lives out her commitment as a Providence Associate is by volunteering to help senior citizens file their taxes at the local library in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

A way that Connie Schnapf of Newburgh, Indiana, lives out her commitment as a Providence Associate is to spend a week or two a year volunteering at the Sisters of Providence motherhouse at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Here she makes repairs re-gluing fallen shells in the St. Ann Shell Chapel there.