Sisters of Providence Fall Discernment Retreat

Did you know that everyone has a vocation? Each person baptized is called to be of service to the Gospel. A person can do this through one of three ways: as a single person, a married person or a member of a vowed religious community, like the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Are you longing to grow more deeply in your Catholic faith? If you are a woman ages 18-42 who is considering religious life, or you know someone who is, check out our Fall Discernment Retreat in conjunction with the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin FEST, Oct. 21-23 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

Your weekend with the sisters will consist of personal and group prayer and reflection, meals and time spent getting to know the sisters and attending Eucharistic Liturgies. There is no cost to attend the Fall Discernment Retreat and the FEST so register today.

Sister Bernice Kuper, vocation minister, said, “The human process of answering the question ‘How do I know what God wants me to do with my life?’ will be much more like being given a map of the United States and told to plot a route which will take you from Indianapolis to San Francisco. You know you will get there but it will involve some effort on your part. You know you will meet some unexpected detours, some challenges and perhaps some delightful surprises on the way, but to reach your destination you have to stay engaged and keep moving ahead!”

Sister Jenny discusses what young women today are looking for, when considering religious life and choosing a vocation, in the video below.



Don't see the video above? Click here.

Take the next step in your vocations journey and attend this special weekend.

Happy birthday, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin!

How does one celebrate a birthday in heaven, especially one’s 213th?

I suspect there would be a gathering of some kind, with her founding sister companions — Basilide, Mary Xaxier, Olympiade, St. Liguori, and St. Vincent Ferrer — leading all the heavenly well-wishers and close behind the 2,174 deceased Sisters of Providence, who carried on her mission for more than 171 years.

We, her modern-day daughters and sons, ask her special intercession on her birthday, Oct. 2 — and Oct. 3, her feast day!

Picture of the Week: April 29

Recently the lovely terazzo floor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception got waxed and prettied up. This meant that the pews were temporarily relegated to the hallways and the shiny reflective surface was more accessible than usual, tempting anyone who walked by to slide around on it in socks. (That was my temptation, at any rate.)

I took this picture from the sanctuary side:



which reminded of me of this picture of the church, taken from the end of the nave side in the early 1900s when the church was nearing completion. (The Church was officially consecrated in October 1907.) It's such a neat photo, don't you agree?



See more photos of the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

(If the images above aren't showing up correctly, you can see them at http://flic.kr/p/9D3xpt and http://flic.kr/p/9D3xiv.)

Indiana sisters visit Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

Representatives of women-religious communities based in Indiana visited Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Wednesday, Oct. 6, for their semiannual gathering. Congregations represented were Sisters of Saint Francis, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Tipton, Victory Noll Sisters, Sisters of Saint Benedict, Discalced Carmelite Nuns and the host Sisters of Providence. Shown here are, front row, Sisters Jean Alice McGoff, OCD; Denise Wilkinson, SP, and Juliann Babcock, OSB. Second row: Sisters Marsha Speth, SP; Bernice Stenger, OSF; Paula Damiano, SP; Christa Franzer, OSF; Sharon Kuhn, OSB; and Jane Marie Osterholt, SP. Third row: Sisters Miriam Kaeser, OSF; Nancy Reynolds, SP; Terese Boresig, OCD; and Theresa MacIntyre, CSJ. They met for prayer and conversation and spent time enjoying the grounds of the Sisters of Providence.

Lincoln’s birthday is approaching!

On Friday, Feb. 12, we will be celebrating the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth! The Congregation’s children’s Web site, WoodsUp.com, is celebrating this special day!

Our 16th president is remembered as a great leader during a tumultuous time in our nation’s history. But before his days in Washington, D.C., Lincoln lived a few years in the Hoosier state. Lincoln, a fine storyteller, often shared memories of his life in Indiana. Some of these stories were about his education (or lack of formal education), a horse that kicked him, and a flatboat trip to New Orleans.

To read a few of these memories, click here.