
- 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 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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As seen in HOPE
Here you will find wonderful content from the Sisters of Providence. The articles here all appeared in HOPE magazine. The Sisters of Providence publish HOPE three times a year to share the mission, spirituality and ministries of the Sisters of Providence. Enjoy!

A companion in the dying and rising of daily life: Sister Jane Iannaccone
Often in my daily encounters, people are experiencing great sorrow and pain. I cannot take their pain away. However, I can be a supportive caring presence. I am willing to stay with them in their pain. I hope that through me they will experience the face of God and this will enable them to put their trust in a loving merciful God. I am mirroring for them and they to me, a God who journeys with us through our pain and suffering.

The Helping Hands thrift store: making a difference a quarter at a time
An active group of volunteers act as God's helping hands providing for the local community in West Terre Haute, Indiana by way of a used clothing store. "I see miracles happen every day here," says Providence Associate Carole Stokes, a volunteer at The Helping Hands thrift store.

Sister Kathleen Bernadette Smith: Joyful collaboration in a prophetic mission
Sister Kathleen Bernadette Smith has ministered almost 20 years as a pastoral associate at St. Felicitas Parish in Chicago. She collaborates with parish staff, parishioners, local community leaders, archdiocesan and SP-led teams and committees to proclaim the Gospel in a joyful, prophetic way richly textured by her African-American spirituality.

In it together
“It was perfect,” Karen said. “It was Providence … it was clearly Providence that brought me here. I found my piece of home.”
Both Vicki Layton and Karen Sagraves said the “team” atmosphere while working with the Sisters of Providence is special.

Sister Kathleen Desautels: Collaborating for justice
For nearly three decades, Sister Kathleen Desautels (formerly Sister Mary Colleen) has been at the forefront of justice.
The rape and murder of four church women in El Salvador in 1980 was also part of her transformation. She spent time in Bolivia and in Nicaragua – witnessing social injustices – before finding her way to 8th Day Center for Justice in Chicago.

Sisters of Providence collaboration timeline
Humans are creatures who remember. Can you remember fondly a time when you said or did something about which you feel an appropriate level of pride? How about those times that you recall with a tinge of sadness, because you acted in a way you now regret? Might it be possible to remember even those negative times with a sense of joy, because attitudes and opinions you held in the past have changed, you have grown, and now you view things anew and would behave differently? This timeline takes a look at Sisters of Providence and their journeys of collaboration through the years.

Providence: together as one creation
Coming together has the power to change us. We form new relationships, share ideas and resources, make new friends. Along the way we are often called to change our minds and our ways of doing things, writes Sister Nancy Nolan as she reflects on collaboration and Providence spirituality.
How I came to see Providence in this light is a story in collaboration itself.

Tried and true farming techniques benefit Earth
The best technology for the job isn’t always something from The Jetsons. Sometimes Little House on the Prairie methods still work best.

Community prayer via Skype™
Sisters Brigid Ann and Eileen Bonner are in Louisville and Sister Mary Morley (formerly Sister David Mary) is in Cincinnati. The time to pray is marked on the computer monitor. They gather “face to face” by way of Skype. You’ll find them there weekdays at 4 p.m. and weekends at 10 a.m.
Virtual circles offer real relationship
Recently “Providence Circles” were formed based on geographic area. Twelve are now operating across the U.S. Because not all Associates live near to each other, two “virtual” Providence Circles were also established. These groups meet via conference call. Any associate, candidate-associate or sister is welcome to attend any of the circles.

A walk through the convent
The Sisters of Providence buildings are a technological hodgepodge. New computers sit next to typewriters, old table-based sewing machines next to electronic ones, and giant dictionaries next to compact discs. This photo series shows the study in contrasts, where decades of technology sit comfortably side by side.

Life-changing technology
Sisters of Providence of varying generations reflect on a most life-changing technology in each of their lives: from air conditioning to the internet.
