Stories about

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.

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Civil War hospital routines

Excerpts from the Indianapolis Daily Journal, dated July 22, 1864: Hospital routine “The business of the day begins at five o’clock. At that hour the nurses busy themselves in cleaning the spittoons, washing the faces and arms of the patients,…

Sisters of Providence
February 27, 2009
American Civil War, Stories from the Archives

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A Civil War widow joins the Sisters of Providence

With the death of her husband, Major John Patrick Dufficy, on June 20, 1864, Minerva Dufficy became a widow. By an act approved by Congress on July 14, 1862, she was entitled to a widow’s claim. Minerva received a monthly…

Sisters of Providence
February 27, 2009
American Civil War, Stories from the Archives

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Sisters’ habits

An engineering degree was practically required in order to understand the 1960 instructions for the new caps and collars worn by the Sisters of Providence. The instructions read in part: “The cap should be worn just in front of the…

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Election and inauguration reflections

After the 2008 election and the inauguration of President Barack Obama on Jan. 20, 2009, the Sisters of Providence were asked by the staff members of Archives to reflect on this event. The following are portions of their reflections. As…

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A niece remembers Saint Mother Theodore

The only surviving sibling of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin was her sister, Marie Guerin-Le Touzé. Three of her daughters entered the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir, France, and came to the United States to serve at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Only one…

Sisters of Providence
February 7, 2009
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, Stories from the Archives

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Conserving and digitizing a saint’s journal

One of the most cherished pieces of the Congregation’s history was conserved and digitized with the assistance of the Indiana Historical Society’s Historic Document Preservation Program and the Preservation Imaging Lab. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s journal, which is written in…

Sisters of Providence
January 5, 2009
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, Stories from the Archives

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Sister Norene Wu: oral history

This is part of Religious Life through the Generations, a series of features illustrating what has motivated women from different generations to enter religious life and how their concepts of the vows were similar or different. This project examined the…

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Sister Marilyn Herber: oral history

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Oral history videos

Sister Marceline Mattingly: Civic or G.I. Generation (1901-1931) (No audio) Sister Marilyn Herber: (formerly Sister Vincent Marie) Adaptive or Mediating Generation (1932-1944) (No audio) Sister Norene Wu: Boomer Generation (1945-1963) (No audio)

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Sister Marceline Mattingly: oral history

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Religious Life Through the Generations

The purpose of this project was to illustrate what has motivated women from different generations to enter religious life and how their concepts of the vows were similar or different. This project examined the spiritual lives of three women and…

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The Le Fer sisters: Gifts to the Congregation

This article is reprinted from winter 2008 issue of HOPE. By Brother Barry Donaghue, cfc One of the loveliest of the early “her-stories” of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is that of the Le Fer sisters, Irma and…

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