Red leaves on a frosty tree

Stories about

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

An unshakeable trust in God. It set Saint Mother Theodore Guerin apart and makes her a model for us in our daily living. Get to know our brave and inspiring foundress better through these stories.

Gathering in solidarity, respect and unity

The principle of solidarity, or recognizing our interdependence with all of creation, has been at the heart of Catholic social teaching for as long as it has existed.
The Women’s March and similar events seek to create spaces where all are welcomed to stand in solidarity with those on the margins of our society. The movement encourages participation by all people who feel marginalized and their allies. It’s a space for all to come together and build a movement to sustain our work for justice into the future.

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin: bearing the light still today

Saint Mother Theodore's story is still very relevant today. She was an immigrant. She came to a foreign land where she didn’t know the language and where there was a lot of prejudice and bias toward Catholics and toward women. There are just so many parallels to what she faced and what she endured that are still around today. She’s a great model and mentor.

Fair Trade: products that improve the lives of people on the margins

Linden Leaf Gifts is a store that worries less about keeping the lights on and more about how to bring light into the lives of marginalized people. As a ministry of the Sisters of Providence, Linden Leaf Gifts measures success a little differently than most retail stores. Success is derived also from the difference it can make in the lives of people that provide the unique products sold there.

Building and healing: Saint Mother Theodore Guerin moment

When Sister Mary asked if they had seen the Log Cabin Chapel yet, three of the men responded in unison, proudly and humbly, “We helped build it.” This was a reunion of sorts for the three men who were inmates in 2012 at the Federal Penitentiary in Terre Haute. Before their release, they vowed to return to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods for a visit, and this weekend was that moment.

Called to perform: Sandra Hartlieb’s Mother Theodore

“I was mad at Mother Theodore!” Sandra confesses. For years, Sandra had struggled with corneal degeneration. Prayers for Mother Theodore’s intervention seemed to fall on deaf ears.
"I wandered around the grounds complaining,” Sandra explains. “I ‘heard’ a voice saying, ‘Tell my story.’ Well, I said, ‘I am telling MY story!’ But the voice came again, and I realized it was HER! Telling me to tell HER story! I decided to do it.”