Saint Mary-of-the-Woods scenery photos

The Reflection Garden is a small, peaceful setting at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. that can be enjoyed alone or with a group — and via the Internet like right here.

Please take a moment to soak up this beautiful scenery at the home of the Sisters of Providence from wherever you are in the world. Have a wonderful day!

Earth Day is around the corner

The countdown has begun! It’s only 10 days until the Sisters of Providence welcome what they hope will be thousands of visitors to their home for the 14th Annual Earth Day Celebration at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 21.

Watch alpaca shearing demonstrations at the 14th Annual
Earth Day Celebration at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. on
Saturday, April 21. Schedule at www.whiteviolet.org.

The staff members of White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence, have outdone themselves once again on planning what looks to be a full day of fun, learning and sharing.

Enjoy pedicab rides by Red’s Wagon Rides, live Celtic music by Women of Erin, a children’s area, a Silly Safaris live animal presentation, Mark Booth’s Take Flight! Wildlife presentation with live raptors, alpaca shearing demonstrations, a butterfly program by the naturalist at Dobb’s Park Nature Center, a bake sale by the Sisters of Providence, a One Planet Solar and Wind presentation, a Tai Chi class, a tour of the new greenhouse, a tour of the Mari Hulman George School of Equine Studies barn, lunch items by local restaurants, vendors selling their eco-friendly or handmade wares, and spinning and weaving demonstrations.

Sisters Jenny Howard, left, and Becky Keller volunteer at a
past Earth Day celebration at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

This is the first year an expired medications disposal area will be provided by Union Hospital of Terre Haute. Dumping drugs could potentially harm our drinking water and the environment; so please take this opportunity to dispose of them responsibly.

Click here for directions to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Click here for the Earth Day event schedule and other details.

If you plan to be with us on April 21, please leave a comment below. We’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to!

Stations of the Cross at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

One of the Stations of the Cross in the Church
of the Immaculate Conception at Saint
Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. 

Some of the first items installed in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods were the Stations of the Cross. They were made in Munich, Germany.

The Stations are sculptures that show various scenes of Jesus in his final hours before He died on the cross.

The Sisters of Providence also have the outdoor Stations of the Cross in Sacred Heart Grove at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

If you're planning to attend Easter Brunch at O'Shaughnessy, please allow time for praying at either of these Stations of the Cross this Easter.

Do you have a prayer request for the Sisters of Providence? If so, please leave them in the comments below.

Grace

Most people who have spent much time at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods have a favorite season here. Mine is winter. Actually, in January, it’s winter. In April, spring will be my favorite. In July … well, you get the point.

St. Joseph's Lake winter scene.

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time at Luking Hermitage at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. As I looked at the trees that circle St. Joe’s Lake, I wondered if Mother Theodore had seen and admired those very trees.

I watched the snow fall one morning and wondered what her vantage point had been when she wrote, during the last winter before her death:

“The weather is a little milder, and yet a thick mist has frozen on the trees, which are all white as snow this morning and give our Forest an air of purity and innocence which it is a pleasure to see. What will Heaven be like if our earth is sometimes so beautiful!”

Whether we are full-time residents of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods or able to visit only for a few hours or days at a time, we are fortunate to be surrounded by such beauty. It is grace to be able to walk these grounds where Mother Theodore and her five companions walked before us, grounds made more sacred by their presence and by the presence of many hundreds of holy ones who came after them.

Snowy St. Joseph's Lake.

It is also grace to have the words of Mother Theodore in her “Journals and Letters,” to be able to share her reflections on the ordinary events of her days. There is much to be learned from the way she saw the hand of Providence in all creation and all persons, trusting always that the future would unfold as it ought and that God’s plans were plans of prosperity and not harm.

As this new year continues, may we all strive to walk as she walked, to see as she saw. May we grow into a deeper appreciation of God’s good gifts to us and a more complete reliance on God’s Providence.

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.

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!

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!

Chorus to spread joy at the Fest

You're invited to an Oct. 22 concert during the Fest.

Do you love good music that makes you want to tap your toes, clap your hands and sing along?

Then get ready to enjoy the Vigo County Extension Homemakers Chorus, who will headline an Oct. 22 evening concert during the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Fest.

The Fest, scheduled Oct. 21-23, 2011, at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., is a weekend celebration of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, the eighth U.S. and first Indiana saint. “Living the Legacy Now” is the Fest’s theme. The Sisters of Providence invite you to join us for workshops and presentations that highlight spirituality, art, music, sustainability and more.

As a part of the Fest, the Vigo County Extension Homemakers Chorus will be in concert at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in Cecilian Auditorium in the Conservatory of Music at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on the same grounds as the Fest activities. Fest participants attend the concert free of charge. The public is also invited to attend and a free-will offering at the door is welcome.

The chorus, directed by Jackie Reeves, began in 1936. The group is 30-plus members strong and serves as a musical outlet for women who love to sing.

“The purpose of the chorus is to spread joy!” Reeves said.

If you’ve heard the Vigo County Extension Homemakers Chorus in person, let us know what you think. We’re looking forward to an exciting evening of great music!

To learn more about the Fest, contact Sister Jan Craven at jcraven@spsmw.org or 812-535-2925. Read more about the Fest, register online and check out the schedule of events.