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.
A grand structure: Providence Hall
Providence Hall, like the phoenix rising from the ashes, rose from the ashes of the convent built by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin after a horrific fire on Feb. 7, 1889. The annals of the Sisters of Providence describe the start…
Time capsule spawns memories of former Catholic High School in Terre Haute
Memorabilia connected to the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, has been recovered in a time capsule at a former convent that has been razed. Owners of the property where the former Paul C. Schulte High School stands recently…
‘The little Indian of the northern Lakes’
“Here we see the little Indian of the northern Lakes becoming one of the Torch-bearers of Christian education in southern Indiana and a notable factor in the expansion of St. Mary-of-the-Woods.” Such are the words about the life of Mother…
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin receives another honor
How was Saint Mother Theodore Guerin a pioneer? Let us count the ways! She led a group of five other Sisters of Providence on a treacherous ocean voyage, through densely wooded terrain to a forest that became home. She was…
Letter from a saint: to Sister Gabriella
Portions of a letter to Sister Gabriella of Fort Wayne, Ind. (Sister Gabriella O’Neill was Mother Theodore’s first postulant of 1841. She was born in 1804 and died in 1875. The letter was dated Sept. 23, 1855.) “It is with…
Letter from a saint: to Rev. J. Bouvier
Portions of a letter to the Most Rev. J. Bouvier (The Most Rev. J. Bouvier was the Bishop of Le Mans, France. This letter was dated April 20, 1854.) “America is truly a wonderful country for ‘improvements,’ an English word…
Letter from a saint: to Rev. J. Bouvier
Portions of a letter to the Most Rev. J. Bouvier (The Most Rev. J. Bouvier was the Bishop of Le Mans, France. This letter was dated Jan. 6, 1854.) “Our boarding school here at Saint Mary’s is also well attended…
Letter from a saint: to Sister Basilide
Portions of a letter to Sister Basilide Sénéschal in Madison, Ind. (This letter was dated Nov. 3, 1851.) “Sister Mary Cecilia [Bailly] has a very severe cold. Her lungs are so weak that I have fear when I hear her…
Letter from a saint: to Bishop Bouvier
Portions of a letter to the Most Rev. J. Bouvier (The Most Rev. J. Bouvier was the Bishop of Le Mans, France. This letter was dated Feb. 23, 1843. Mother Theodore is referring to the aftermath of the Oct. 2,…
Letter from a saint: to Father Martin
Portions of a letter to the Rev. Augustine Martin, May 1, 1841 (Father Martin gave the sisters their first retreat in the United States Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, 1840. In 1841, he was the pastor of the parish in…
Archives and the Civil War
The Sisters of Providence Archives has several historical documents and photos related to the Civil War. The Congregation, of course, provided nursing service at the Military Hospital in Indianapolis as well as the emergency hospital in Vincennes, Ind., during the…
Nuns of the Battlefield
“Nuns of the Battlefield” was written by Ellen Ryan Jolly and originally published in 1927. This monograph highlights the women’s religious congregations that ministered to soldiers during the Civil War. In the foreward, William A. Hickey, then-bishop of Providence, R.I.,…