
- 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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Alpacas
An important part of our sustainable agriculture program is our alpaca herd. Alpacas are wonderful animals that are full of personality. They are valued for their fiber which is warmer than wool, water resistant, hypoallergenic and very soft. Each spring our alpacas are sheared and the best of the fiber is spun into yarn. It is then knitted and crocheted into scarves, hats, and other garments. These items are then sold at Linden Leaf Gifts and The Farm Store at White Violet. We also mix their manure with leaves and kitchen scraps and use it to enrich the soil in our garden. Each year our alpacas get thousands of visitors. We also have an Adopt an Alpaca program which makes a great gift for all animal lovers.

Meet Providence Pax Terre!
Welcome Providence Pax Terre!

Adopting Iggy
Our plan is to try and make this an annual trip to come see Iggy so he doesn’t forget that his Florida parents Love him very much!

Meet our newest alpaca, Providence Isabelle (Bella)
Welcome to the herd Bella! Our newest alpaca is spunky and the spitting image of her mother.

Welcoming our 2021 WVC Summer Interns!
I hope you have an opportunity to meet some of them!

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Kristen Kimery!
“I get to meet new people and learn more about the alpacas. I love it.”

White Violet Center: Though the world may pause, life always moves forward
While the world seemingly stands still, it has been reassuring to watch the life cycles of the farm continue to spin on. Winter still turned into spring, which still turned to summer, and will turn to fall soon enough. While…

Tony and the NIH: Our newest alpaca becomes a part of history
This past April, the Sisters of Providence were blessed with a bouncing bundle of alpaca joy, Raphael Anthony (aka Tony). It couldn’t have come at a better time. At this point we were several weeks into our “shelter in place”…

Alpaca Shearing 2020
After a postponement of nearly two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, White Violet Center alpacas finally got sheared on Saturday, June 20. The herd were all quite ready to shed their winter coats. Professional shearers from Alley-Pac Alpaca Shearing…

Providence Raphael Anthony “Tony”
Enjoy these photos of Providence Raphael Anthony (Tony) the son of Theodora (Dora) and Jubilee. Tony was born Sunday afternoon, April 26 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sisters of Providence named him Raphael Anthony in honor of two people…

‘It was 20 years ago today …’
'We were attracted to the combination of faith, justice, and environmental sustainability WVC and the Sisters of Providence offered.'


Memories of Providence Brittany (RIP)
'She was a perfect beginning animal for us to make our early mistakes in raising alpacas'
