Red leaves on a frosty tree

Stories about

Providence Spirituality

“The God of Providence carries the entire mystery of the divine, ever trustworthy, never failing. The God of Providence offers all the possibilities for ourselves and the world, including both what God wants to happen and what God is willing to let happen because God honors the gift of human freedom. The choices are ours — truly free, but ever grounded in the grace of God, the Holy Mystery of Providence, about which there is ever more to be discovered.” – Sister Ruth Eileen Dwyer

Grieving gracefully into a future full of hope

Saint Mother Theodore once said, “Treat yourself as you treat others, with kindness and indulgence.” I firmly believe that, above all, to comfort oneself or another involves being gentle with oneself or another. It means allowing grief to be a teacher who reminds us that we are wired for resilience. We are meant to find meaning and purpose in life.

Reaching out as mercy

“As Pope Francis has spoken so many times, at least the way that I understand it, mercy is shown by reaching out to people where they are and not waiting for them to come to you. So in a way, it is to be alert to the needs of someone. The need to be loved, to be accepted, to be important. I think Pope Francis’ approach to a year of mercy has again called people to be more aware, more alert, to that,” said Providence Associate Daniel Hopcus, the priest chaplain at Saint Mary-0f-the-Woods.

Awakening and discovering at the Providence Associates retreat

Awakening includes removing our makeup (I hope I don’t have to take that literally since I only use a little!), taking off our shoes (recognizing we stand on holy ground), and growing up (being honest with ourselves and others about how things are so we can move on). It also includes gratitude, an attitude that serves as “a portal for the Divine.” Providence Associate Sabrina Falls shares some of her experience at the Providence Associate spring retreat.