Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Feast Day

Today’s feast of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin also marks the 5th anniversary of her
canonization at the Vatican on Oct. 3, 2006.

I can still feel the pride and excitement of seeing her banner-portrait uncovered and that familiar painting shared with the entire world. Our saint, now everyone’s saint — the first saint in Indiana and only the 8th saint in the United States!

In my mind’s eye, I saw hundreds and hundreds of school children in the United States, in China and in Taiwan, being taught through the years about this remarkable pioneer woman
from France, who, with her five sister-companions — Sister St. Vincent Ferrer Gagé, Sister Basilide Sénéschal, Sister Olympiade Boyer, Sister Mary Xavier Lerée and Sister Mary Liguori Tiercin — established a Congregation and a school at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1840.

The Congregation of the Sisters of Providence continues today as does the school, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

People of all faith traditions and in all cultural and economic circumstances can find strength in her enduring message: “Perfect abandonment of ourselves in all things for the future requires great courage, but we ought to aspire to it.” Happy feast!