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Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and fear
The short journey from Terre Haute to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., took forever as Mother Theodore and her sister-companions were forced to wait several hours for a ferry to cross the Wabash River. Once across the Wabash, Mother Theodore and her traveling companions faced a dangerous stagecoach ride. Mother Theodore writes: “I may say, however, that I was not at all alarmed. When one has nothing more to lose, the heart is inaccessible to fear. The water poured in on us....
Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and smoking
Traveling by stagecoach from Vincennes to Terre Haute, Ind., was another arduous and dangerous leg of Mother Theodore Guerin’s journey to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. Rain made matters even worse. When the stagecoach overturned and the driver was unable to upright the vehicle, assistance was sought from a man who lived in nearby cabin. Mother Theodore and her sister-companions stayed with the woman of the house as the men turned their attention to the stagecoach. Mother Theodore writes: “The man of...
Journals and Letters week 44: Full as an egg and a tribute to a friend
[Today we are discussing “Journals and Letters” page 388-397 mid-page. This is located in “Part VI: Later Letters (1846–1856)” starting with “To Sister Basilide, Madison.” Join us in reading a portion of Saint Mother Theodore’s writings every week.] Again, we begin our section with a letter to Sister Basilide. And, per usual, it contains a range of topics and emotions: Mother Theodore’s perceived anger, which she denies. Praise for Father Dupontavice (or Dupo, as his priests referred to him). Cherished words about...
Women’s History Month: Mother Theodore and the Ohio River
...of Mother Theodore by Teresa Clark. On Oct. 4, 1840, Mother Theodore Guerin and her sister-companions saw the Ohio River for the last time. Mother Theodore reflects upon this: “Nothing troubled the charm and silence of this solitude. Making the most serious reflections on what we beheld, and on our present position, I said to myself: Thus does life also pass away, now calm, now agitated, but at last the end is attained.” Learn more about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin....
Remembering Sister St. Francis Xavier
Sister St. Francis Xavier Le Fer After the arrival of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and her companions to the Woods in October of 1840, the small Congregation was beset with many losses and trials. One of the most grievous and personal losses to Saint Mother Theodore was the death of Sister St. Francis Xavier, who died Jan. 31, 1856. Irma Le Fer, as she was known before entering the Sisters of Providence in Ruillé, France, arrived at the Woods in...
An unforgettable moment
Sister Jan Craven (right) with Delphine Le Brun at the entrance to the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. It is hard to describe how I felt. You don’t get to meet your ancestor who is a saint every day. First, what is complicated, in my opinion, is trying to understand what it means to be a saint. I’m not religious, and part of it is formality or ritual that belongs to the Catholic Church. The Sisters of Providence appealed...
The power of this place
We’re not so different from the people who once made pilgrimages to the temple in Delphi to find answers to life’s questions. 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 Mother Theodore? — I could sense an underlying parallel in their responses. Yet, there was also a wide...
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin: A torchbearer!
Sister Ann Casper as Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Look for Saint Mother Theodore Guerin among the 2,200-plus torchbearers who will be part of the 2016 Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay! Saint Mother Theodore (posthumously portrayed by Sister Ann Casper) will join 21 other persons who were nominated to represent Vigo County in the relay. The Torch Relay will travel up the Wabash River via hovercraft from Sullivan County to begin the Vigo County segment of the relay, which will take place...
So many ways of honoring Mary at the Woods
...now on all generations will call me blessed.” Why are you hearing this today? Mary’s own words in her Magnificat provide some answer: “from now on all generations will call me blessed.” We gather precisely because we are part of the present generation who wishes to call her blessed. Saint Mother Theodore and Mary And we stand on the shoulders of countless other Sisters of Providence who have praised Mary. Beginning with our Mother Theodore Guerin, who wrote in 1840:...
Jean Lynch: her own spirituality has been deepened
...read the “Journals and Letters” of Mother Theodore, I could almost hear Sister Maureen Therese relating a story. Through good times and bad, we remained fast friends. She was my mentor and counselor, even after she came home to the Woods. Sister Maureen Therese shared the friendships of her fellow Sisters of Providence, and I came to think of them as my community, too. That is how I came to know Sister Cathy Buster and Hallie McMahan. Mother Theodore’s legacy...
Sister Mary Louise O’Connor (formerly Sister James Margaret)
On the first floor of Providence Hall, one can make a pilgrimage in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary. On several window sills sit a wonderful array of images of the mother of Jesus. Striking among them is a print of muted tones capturing a tender moment between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth. With arms around each other’s shoulders, the closeness, the affection, the love between them is palpable. Here the young, pregnant Mary, at the very beginning of her...
Reflecting on Juneteenth
As we commemorated Juneteenth, which marks the day when the news of the emancipation finally reached the slaves in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, I reflected on what Black Lives Matter means to me. I would like to introduce you to Jessie Fore, my mother, who was in her teens when this photo was taken. Jessie was born in New Jersey during the Great Depression. Her mother, who did not complete elementary school, worked as domestic help and did laundry for...