Stories from the Archives
Often, some of the most interesting pieces of history are lost in time. These inviting stories are drawn from the Sisters of Providence Archives and the memories of sisters and friends. They feature the many people and places instrumental in the Sisters of Providence history.
Coal tipple demolished
The coal tipple at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. was recently demolished. Read more about it on our blog.
Sister Jeanne Knoerle photo album
Remembering Sister Jeanne Knoerle through photos. Sister Jeanne died June 10, 2013.
Life in the Weihsien internment camp, 1943
I was recently looking for something in Against All Odds: Sisters of Providence Mission to the Chinese (a great book by Sister Ann Colette Wolf) and in the process got quite distracted by “Chapter Seven: Internment.” It tells, in nicely…
History of the Prayer of Reunion
The Prayer of Reunion has been an important part of the history of the Sisters of Providence from our early beginnings in France. The prayer was an important way for sisters to stay connected to one another especially when at…
A scholar’s view of Vatican II
“I think hope dominates the feeling of depression. I think hope was very high at first. But perhaps it was an unrealistic hope: a failure to recognize that the work of any council takes years and perhaps generations to accomplish,” she said.
Coming of age with Vatican II
On Sept. 12, 1963, the Sisters of Providence welcomed 58 of us as postulants. We arrived with a small black suitcase and a foot locker filled with a variety of personal supplies, regulation nightgowns, black stockings, nun shoes, men’s white…
My most challenging and most transformative years
When the Second Vatican Council opened in 1962 I had just been appointed Director of Novices for our Congregation. This meant that I had accepted the responsibility of passing on to another generation the traditions, practices, prayer forms and life…
Christmas greeting cards of yesteryear
A photo album of Christmas cards sent by the Sisters of Providence general administration through the years.
Foundation Day gems from the past
One visit to the Sisters of Providence Archives and you are likely to be engulfed with enthusiasm like the California gold-rushers might have sensed in the middle 1800s. Truly, you will find treasures. With today being Foundation Day, a research…
A rest for weary bones
“And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, ‘God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.’” (Exodus 13:10) When…
Building the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
Another foray into the inner sanctum of Archives has produced another gem. In the Properties/Buildings/Shrines area is a large Hollinger box with a plethora of information about the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. One of the folders within that box contains invoices…
Treasures from Archives: Providence Press
The Sisters of Providence have a long history of printing and publishing. Take, for example, “Lest We Forget: The Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods in Civil War Service,” by the late Sister Mary Theodosia Mug. It was printed in…