
- 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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Providence Associates
Get a feel for who the Providence Associate community is and find inspiration in these stories. Reflections, poetry, articles and more by and about Providence Associates. Are you being called to walk with the Sisters of Providence as a Providence Associate?

Where God walks: a poetic response to deeply spiritual places
There are places God has glanced
with lightest touch of hand, some swept,
palm to earth, and some in which God’s hand
sinks into soil like a sculptor’s hand in clay, that shout …

What is to become of us?
I was walking near the cemetery and lamenting the loss of the older mature trees that used to line the road. As I reflected on the loss of the trees, it struck me that the loss of the trees resembles in many ways the loss of our aging sisters.

Photos! Providence Associate retreat 2017
Last weekend brought nearly 70 Providence Associates and Sisters of Providence together for the Providence Associate spring retreat at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Enjoy these photos from the weekend retreat!

Providence Associate spring retreat 2017
Last weekend brought nearly 70 Providence Associates and Sisters of Providence together for the Providence Associate spring retreat at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Those on retreat took time away for rest, reflection, prayer and conversation. They reconnected with God, each other, sisters…

Week 3: Walking through Lent with Saint Mother Theodore
Join us for week 3 of walking through Lent with Saint Mother Theodore Guerin with these short daily reflections.
“Do your utmost to be recollected at the time of prayer. There you will obtain all the graces you need … You will also obtain humility to see your faults without being vexed and discouraged. With a little good will you will become perfect at last.” – Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

Going the extra mile this Lent
It was clear to me that 'going the extra mile' would become my guiding principle and spiritual practice for Lent 2017. This is the Lent I believe I am being called to so that I can encounter Christ on the journey.

Walking through Lent with Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
We invite you to spend a few minutes each day reflecting on the scripture verses and the words of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin with these daily Lenten reflections. May your Lent be a time of deepening your spirituality and growing closer to God. And may your walk be a little more meaningful by sharing it with Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.

Healing difficult relationships through writing
“I’ve used writing to work through difficult situations since I was a child, but had gotten away from this in recent years,” Frost said. “I needed a way to express all of the conflicting thoughts and emotions that go along with caring for someone you love, but who views you as the cause of her unhappiness. I read the description of Liza and Norbert’s workshop and immediately knew it was what I needed.”

Let us put on love
I read somewhere that when Venus — the morning star — first appears, the atmosphere breaks its light into many different colors, like a rainbow. The glory of God is like that —it embraces all of the beautiful rainbow colors of humanity and creation, and we, as God’s people, as lovers of Jesus, celebrate this rainbow of light.
We have to be brave and we have to be vigilant, and shine this Christ-light into the darkness and share our hope with each other and all who fear or despair.
So let us speak, or write, or pray, or feed, or heal, or teach, or visit, or protest, or protect, or report, or show up, or stand up, or stand with, or go to jail, or sing, or serve, or help, or love on, or walk alongside.

Hospitality: making it real
Call it another world, call it heaven, call it cosmic beyond-ness; maybe it’s that for which I’m pining. Truly no place on Earth could satiate this longing. But here’s the crux – I believe that, through acts of hospitality, we actually co-create moments of heaven on Earth by way of intimate connection with others. To me, the practice of hospitality is sharing space and consciousness with friends and strangers. There I can land and experience my truest Self through right relationship, and, in those moments, I feel completely at home in the universe.

Being a Sister of Providence means …
What do you know about the Sisters of Providence today? Ever wish you had a way to tell your friends and family about the SPs? In this Congregation video, you’ll get a glimpse into how we strive to honor Divine Providence…

Miracle Place: a beacon for the neighborhood
According to the two sisters, “the mission of Miracle Place is to offer hospitality, care, and concern. It is a place of spiritual refreshment where all who come may find refuge. Where all who are severely tried may be comforted. Where all who are lonely may find companionship. And where those without hope may find a renewed spirit.”
