Picture of the week: February 22

Sister Jan Craven, the coordinator of the Office of the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore, and Tina Soules, coordinator of tours at Providence Center, pose with ashes. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. You can read Sister Denise Wilkinson's musings on the season in her reflection, "Gracious, spacious and precious."

Picture of the week: Jan. 27

Two Sisters of Providence and their dogs in Arrequipa, Peru, in 1968. You can read more about the Sisters' ministry at the Colegio San José in Arrequipa from the latest issue of HOPE.

Picture of the week: December 22

Today the new greenhouse at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice is getting a roof! Two sheets of sturdy translucent plastic form the covering. A fan will create a pocket of air between the two layers, creating a wonderful insulation to keep the interior the perfect temperature no matter the season.

Picture of the week: October 28

The trees at Saint Joseph's Lake give bright pops of color against the cool green water. Fall is a great season to stop by and visit the grounds, or you can "virtually" visit by browsing through some photos of fall at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. (If the slideshow below does not display, it can be viewed on Flickr.)

Picture of the week: Sept. 28

The leaves in Sacred Heart Grove are just beginning to change with the start of autumn. Fall is always a lovely season at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods!

And since it's fun to see a bit of historical perspective, here's a delightful undated photo of novices in Sacred Heart Grove back in the day.

Picture of the week: September 15

This past Saturday, the Sisters of Providence installed their new general council, with Sister Denise Wilkinson returning for a second term as general superior and Sisters Lisa Stallings, Jenny Howard, Dawn Tomaszewski and Mary Beth Klingel rounding out the team. (For more info, you can read the press release or check out Sister Denise Wilkinson's reflection from the Installation.)

We've compiled a small set of images to introduce you to the new general officers. (If slideshow is not showing up correctly, you may view the set of images here.)

Picture of the week: Sept. 9

Happy 100th birthday, Sister Rosalie!



Sister Rosalie Marie Weller was born on September 7, 1911. She entered the Sisters of Providence community in 1934, when Mother Mary Raphael Slattery was general superior. (You can see her name in the first Sisters of Providence entrance book recently digitized with help of the Indiana Historical Society. She's on page 295.)

This makes her the second Sister of Providence to turn 100 this year — Sister Francis Alma McManus turned 100 back on February 28. (She entered the community in 1928.) Here are the two centenarians enjoying the day.

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.)

Picture of the Week: May 27

Every five years, the Sisters of Providence get their pictures taken for a congregation-wide photo directory. 2011 is one of those lucky years, so this week I began the process with the first batch of SP picture days. We started with some of the sisters who are "home" at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

What a delightful experience it's been so far to witness the dignity, humor and grace of these women! Each face I get to capture is chock full of stories of a life full of Providence.

I couldn't pick just one, so here are three. (From the top: Sisters Richard Bussing, Sheila FitzSimons and Adelaide Ortegel)

Picture of the Week: May 6

It's shearing week at White Violet Farm Alpacas! Every year the animals get their summer "haircuts" and the fiber is collected to process into roving, yarn and felt for fiber items.

Here you can tell the difference between the fluffy alpaca on the left and the newly shorn one on the right. They look so silly until it starts to grow in again.



Here's a slideshow of shearing photos from the last few years.



(If the above image and slideshow aren't showing up correctly, you can view them at http://flic.kr/p/9F7XEu and http://flic.kr/s/aHsjuuMmAp)

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.)

Picture of the Week: September 3

Sister Jody's Art Opening, originally uploaded by Sisters of Providence.

Sister Jody O'Neil with one of her pieces during an opening at the Country Club of Terre Haute on Thursday. See more photos from the opening here.

Picture of the Week: August 13

Sisters of Providence and friends slicing tomatoes grown organically at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice before placing them in the dehydrating machine to make sun-dried tomatoes.
(Clockwise from left in blue jumper: Mary Catherine Gibson; Sister Sharon Richards, SP; Patricia O'Connell; Sister Jeanne Marie Greenen, CSJ; Sister Peggy Nau, SP; Sister Francine Costello, CSJ; Sister Judy Miller, CSJ; Sister Maria Castagnaro, SSJ.)

Picture of the Week: July 2

Sisters of Providence from all over the world came home to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods this week for the Congregation's Annual Meeting. Traditionally, sisters celebrating anniversaries of membership are honored the weekend before in a Jubilee celebration.

Here, the general officers recognize two of their own celebrating jubilees, Sisters Nancy Reynolds and Sister Marie McCarthy. From left: Sisters Marsha Speth, Denise Wilkinson, Nancy Reynolds, Marie McCarthy, Paula Damiano and Jane Marie Osterholt.

Picture of the Week: June 18

Students from Shawe Memorial High School in Madison, Indiana, were at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods this week for a Taste of the Woods overnight experience hosted by SP vocations. Here, they participate in a Eucharistic service in St. Joseph Chapel.

For more about similar experiences available for you or your school, visit the "Become a sister" section of our website.

Picture of the Week: June 4

Providence Volunteer Minister Jessie Light is hard at work harvesting strawberries in the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice garden. You can find White Violet Center (and their tasty strawberries!) at the Downtown Terre Haute Farmers' Market every Saturday at 9th & Cherry streets, June through October.

Picture of the Week: May 28

Sister Jan Craven shows off the two fish (soon to be dinner) that she caught in St. Joseph's Lake at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Thursday.

Picture of the Week: May 7

This week’s Picture of the Week comes from the vault in the Sisters of Providence Archives. This holy water container and sprinkler belonged to Bishop Maurice de Saint-Palais, fourth bishop of Vincennes. He was bishop from 1849 until his death in 1877. To view other treasures in the vault, click here.

Picture of the Week: April 30

Sister Ann Kevin O'Connor got a surprise visit this week in the form of a crow that crashed into her room's window, leaving this perfectly formed imprint. The sisters and staff all agree that it looks just like the Holy Spirit!

Picture of the Week: April 23

In celebration of Earth Day on Thursday, Sister Terri Boland helps landscape the entrance to the grounds of the Sisters of Providence and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.