White Violet Center for Eco-Justice
Teaching, caring, inspiring for all creation. A ministry of the Sisters of Providence, White Violet Center for Eco-Justice at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana was established in 1996. Here you’ll find a herd of alpacas, a flock of laying chickens, a 5-acre USDA certified organic garden, orchards, bee hives, a Farm Store, nature trail and internship opportunities.
Care of Earth attracts new members
The Sisters of Providence ministry educating toward care for creation at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice is attracting young women to joining the Congregation.
Sustainability midst the bustle
How does one fit living an ecologically friendly lifestyle into the busyness of life? For Providence Associates Jennifer and Duane Drake, it’s about being gentle with themselves in the process.
Cherishing creation
"Our promise in this time is to be God’s loving care for all creation, to be one of the ways God sustains life. We desire to live in right relationship with our Earth and with all that dwells on Earth."
Finding balance with sustainability
But failing to assess the full cost and the real “good” is a prime source of environmental, social and economic degradation and has long-term consequences for the viability of life on Earth. Finding balance with an eye to the long-term when weighing environmental, social and economic factors is at the very heart of achieving sustainability.
Sisters of Providence Land Ethic
We hope this portion of the Sisters of Providence land ethic offers you ideas for creating your own guiding principals for living in harmony with creation.
My secret life …
Tom Balduf enjoys his time volunteering with the Sisters of Providence. Especially working in the Reflection Garden and spending time with the alpacas.
Poetry: A tree in winter
In the wintertime of my soul
barren branches stand stark
clothed in heaviness of ice
bestowed by winter night storm.
A living Land Ethic
True confessions of a former White Violet Center intern: staff meetings were sometimes a chance to daydream ... but when we met to hear more about the Sisters of Providence Land Ethic I quickly found that this would not be that kind of staff meeting. This was big.
Sister Ann Sullivan celebrates golden jubilee
Sister Ann Sullivan, founding director of White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, was one of 10 Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary as members of the Congregation.
From foodie to environmentalist
“Being a foodie has made me an environmentalist,” she said. “I think that if you care about what you consume, you have to be mindful of the condition of our Earth on which it’s grown. I believe that carefully grown whole foods are the very basis of health. My greatest joys in life come when preparing and sharing great food with loved ones.”
Tried and true farming techniques benefit Earth
The best technology for the job isn’t always something from The Jetsons. Sometimes Little House on the Prairie methods still work best.
Care of Earth in everyday life: Sisters Ellen Cunningham and Rosemary Nudd
Sisters Rosemary Nudd, Ellen Cunningham and Dorothy Rasche walk the talk by living and demonstrating care of Earth in their everyday lives.