Meet a Sister

With the Sisters of Providence as my teachers in both grade and high school you could say that I sort of imbibed the spirit or charism of the Congregation without ever knowing it. But that alone does not explain why…

If the 1960s were known as the roller coaster of social change, then Sister Jan Craven loved every high-speed twist and turn. Society was changing. The Catholic Church was changing. Jan Craven was changing. Her father was a devout follower…

Updated August 2022 In some ways, Sister Joann Quinkert may have a parallel experience with Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of- the-Woods. When Mother Theodore came to the United States in 1840, she…

Barbara Battista was working as a pharmacist and leading a good life. “I was an independent woman. I was sure of myself. I was pretty much a wild child. I just didn’t have much room for the Church in my…

For Sister Connie Kramer, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” She is very grateful that Saint Mother Theodore Guerin founded Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College since this is where Providence designed that she would meet the Sisters of Providence. In 1948,…

Sister Patty Wallace has a long history with the Sisters of Providence. She remembers that in fourth grade Sister Frances Joan Baker was her teacher. Sister Maureen Loonam was her principal. She studied under Sister Marie Alexis Geiger who later…

Sister Judy Birgen is passionate about helping people who hunger for food. “When I read the Gospel, it’s not just about feeling good about helping people. It’s about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked. I do it because of who…

A well-substantiated belief among Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the- Woods is that women who have had good, personal relationships with individual members of the Congregation are good candidates to devote their lives to serving God. Of course, there are…

Sister Laura Parker has firsthand experience with the importance of personal care when an individual is facing significant health issues. When she was a youngster growing up in the Chicago area, she suffered from earaches and stomach pains. She also…

Editor’s note: Sister Grace died Sept. 1, 2010. Sister Grace Stewart glanced at the wall, noticing it was 11:24 a.m. “It is about time to go to church,” she said. “If I go now, I can just make it.” She…

Little did Barbara Doherty know she was etching the beginning of a career path when she arranged those chairs into a temporary classroom at her grandmother’s home each Sunday. She was the oldest grandchild in the family, and she would…