Picture of the week: August 30

Sisters of Providence who live at the motherhouse gathered yesterday at an SP Social for ice cream and coffee in the Providence Hall dining room. At top is Sister Beatrice Hoberg; at bottom are Sisters Mary Pat Cummings, Edwardine McNulty and Dorothy McLaughlin.

(If pictures are not visible, you can view them at http://flic.kr/p/ahN6ii and http://flic.kr/p/ahQTzL.)

Uncovering ‘Longfellow’s grave’

“It had several affectionate names through the years, but the one I know is Longfellow’s grave,” said Sister Rose Ann Eaton, associate director of Facilities Management, referring to the large cistern on the eastside of Providence Hall which was removed last Friday, June 3.

“It held water from the downspouts on Providence Hall before it drained to the underground sanitary system. At one time, the sisters may have had a pump in it to use for outdoor watering of plants,” Sister Rose Ann continued.

“Plant Brothers, our contractors for this job, will fill in the cistern. The area will have completely new underground pipes for drainage. Many of the old ones were completely broken down. A parking lot will be located in that whole area by the east door,” she said.

There is a cistern in the courtyard of Providence Hall which is still being used.

To learn more about Providence Hall and its awesome architecture check out the winter 2011 issue of HOPE, pages 12-13.

A big thank you to Jim Brown, director of Facilities Management, for the photos.

Not just another construction project

“I think all the contractors got along really well. If we have a problem we put our heads together to figure out where everybody needs to be and what needs to be done. I think that’s gone well. I think profanity was way down for a construction site,” joked Carl Dougherty, referring to the renovation of Providence Hall.

Carl is the mechanical general foreman with Sycamore Engineering.

Carl joins Mark Ross, Garmong Construction job site supervisor, in sharing their thoughts about working on such an historic structure owned by a congregation of women religious.

“It’s a neat old building. The customer just makes it a little more special,” said Mark.

To read the entire issue, click here. This article is reprinted from the winter 2011 issue of HOPE.

Providence Hall: a grand structure

Did you know that Providence Hall:

• was built after a horrific fire on Feb. 7, 1889, burned down the convent built by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin?

• has been “green” long before being green was a buzzword?

• was brightened “by six hundred lights … a most imposing scene?”

• was blessed on Sept. 8, 1890, by the Most Rev. Francis Silas Chatard?

To learn more about this grand structure, click here. This article is reprinted from the winter 2011 issue of HOPE.

Preserving Life and Mission: the capital campaign to renovate Providence Hall

Providence Hall is the cornerstone and heart-center of the Sisters of Providence motherhouse at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Retired sisters, who have spent a lifetime in service to others, live in this Providence Hall home and from there volunteer in our sponsored ministries in the West Terre Haute and Terre Haute area, and in various ministries on the grounds at the Woods.

They live their later years in meaningful, fulfilling ways — offering compassion, care and comfort wherever and however they can.

The retired sisters living at Providence Hall also lived there when they entered as postulants and novices, when large dormitories served as bedrooms. Living in Providence Hall as elders, however, presents a whole new set of challenges to these sisters whose youthful legs once navigated the long halls and staircases with ease and alacrity.

Our prayer and communal discernment over several years have led us to embark on a major renovation of this facility that has served generations of Sisters of Providence during the building's 120-year lifetime. The renovations will allow our sisters who are retired to live independently and comfortably even as they age into their late 70s, 80s and beyond, and to continue to be involved in our mission.

To achieve the renovation and restoration of this home to so many sisters, the Sisters of Providence in 2009 launched a Capital Campaign — Providence Hall: Preserving Life and Mission — with a goal of $6,000,000. We still have $379,350 to raise to reach our goal. You can help us reach the finish line by making a gift online.

A gift to the capital campaign honors Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and her legacy of providing for her sisters, of continuing to minister to the needs of others — regardless of one’s health, age or physical limitations — and of planning wisely for the future. A gift honors the retired sisters and all those who have gone before us, who spent their lives in ministry to others. Finally, a gift to the capital campaign preserves the building’s 120-year-old history and architecture and will support values of restoration and reuse of precious resources.

Many of you have already contributed to the capital campaign for all of these reasons and we thank you. We have come so far with your support.

We do hope everyone will take the time to visit our website today and in the coming months to learn more about Providence Hall, the history, the sisters, the people who are making the renovation possible and how thankful we are. You'll hear stories about how your gifts are making an impact on the everyday lives of so many Sisters of Providence and helping to build a SP Logolegacy for the future.

If you wish to continue receiving Providence Hall updates, subscribe to our e-newsletter Providence Partners.

Clerestory removed from Providence Hall

Renovation of Providence Hall continued this morning with the removal of the clerestory from the roof of the Activity Room. Construction workers informed Sister Rose Ann Eaton, associate director of Facilities Management, that the clerestory would be removed at 8:30 a.m., and right on schedule the crane lifted it off the roof.

According to some sisters gathered to view the spectacle, the clerestory at one time provided ventilation to those working in the hot, steamy kitchen. The service of the clerestory is no longer needed.

For more photos, click here.