What does Mother Theodore have in common with Madame Brown?

UPDATE: As of 3:30 p.m. today, this event has been postponed due to the weather forecast for the Terre Haute area. We will let you know when it gets rescheduled.

The Wabash Valley Genealogy Society will contrast the lives of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and the infamous Madame Brown tonight during "The Madame and the Saint - Contrasting Lifestyles" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Vigo County Public Library (Rooms A, B and C on the lower level).

The funny and informative presentation follows the lives of two interesting and influential women of the Wabash Valley. Marylee Hagan, Executive Director of the Vigo County Historical Society, plays Madame Brown. Our own Sister Ann Casper, executive director of Congregational Advancement, plays Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.

Marylee and Sister Ann have both played these roles for many years in various settings, however, this is the first time they will present the stories in parallel. The presentation will show how these two historical figures influenced Terre Haute on vastly different — yet similar — paths — whether it's Madame Brown coming to Terre Haute from Paris, Ill., or Mother Theodore arriving from her home near Paris, France, to Madame Brown establishing her first place of business on Mulberry Street or Mother Theodore establishing the Academy.

I dug up this video from our Archives to share with you. It's an old one, but it will give you some idea of how authentic Sister Ann's portrayal of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin is.

This evening is sure to be an excellent presentation full of history and humor. If you are in the Terre Haute area, we know it is one you'll enjoy!

The presentation is free! Doors open at 6 p.m.

Who wouldn't want to be in Florida right now?

Sisters of Providence Jody O'Neil, who works in Roethele Studio on our grounds at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, will exhibit this weekend at the 8th Annual St. Armands Circle art festival in Sarasota, Fla. She will be there 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

She e-mailed me this afternoon to let me know that her booth is #34 and it is located in the Aqua Quadrant on the S Blvd of Presidents in front of The Met.

If you are in Sarasota or plan to attend the festival, you are in for a treat. Sister Jody paints with a variety of acrylic media on canvas, paper or gessoboard. If Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is a bit closer for you, then get in touch with Sister Jody and come see her work at Roethele Studio. You won't be disappointed!

To learn more about the St. Armands Circle art festival, visit www.artfestival.com.

To learn more about Sister Jody and her art, visit her site at www.creationsights.org.

January: How time flies

Say it isn't so.

Was it really 10 years ago this month that Phil McCord walked into the Church of the Immaculate Conception to ask Saint Mother Theodore Guerin to help him to find the courage to proceed with a cornea transplant?

Yes.

Was it really five years ago this month that the Congregation's Canonization Communications Committee met for the second time as it discussed ideas, priorities and strategies for informing various publics, as well as the media, about the anticipated announcement of canonization for Saint Mother Theodore Guerin?

Yes.

So, now you know that come October 15, the Sisters of Providence will celebrate the fifth anniversary of their foundress' canonization. Is it time for that already?

Yes.

So, keep checking on us. We'll give you a little monthly reminder about what was happening five years ago this year as the Sisters of Providence waited excitedly for the news to come from the Vatican, then celebrated as Saint Mother Theodore was canonized.

You never know what you’ll discover

You never know what topic will be addressed on the Wabash Valley Visions & Voices blog. Take for instance the latest post. It’s a 1905 photograph of the Allen Chapel AME Choir in Terre Haute, Ind. This photo is part of the private collection of Mark Shepard of Houston, Texas. Mark’s collection of photographs celebrates the heritage and community of African Americans in the Terre Haute area.


This document is a Dec. 14, 1920, letter from Mr. and Mrs. William Hilsdorf to Eugene V. Debs. This letter is part of the Special Collections Department at Indiana State University.


Take a gander at the artwork on this Alice of Old Vincennes tomato can. What a beauty! And thanks to William D. Walker of Vincennes, Ind., for saving this can from a trash heap!

The Sisters of Providence are proud to be a part of Wabash Valley Visions & Voices, a digital memory project. To visit the Congregation’s collection, click here. To sign up for the WV3 blog, click here.

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.

She has music in her soul

“I was told I began singing when I was 14 months old. My mother was a wonderful singer, and I swear she taught me before I was born,” shares Providence Associate Mary Ellen Fox of Tulsa, Okla.

Educated by women religious throughout her primary and secondary education, it was the Sisters of Providence who made a lasting impression on Mary Ellen, a generous donor to the Congregation. These were the women who helped shape her life.

Another important part of Mary Ellen’s life is music. It was at the University of Tulsa where she studied business that she discovered a whole new world in music. Music allowed her to sing before thousands of people and travel throughout the country and world. Music has also been an important part of her faith journey.

To read the entire story about Mary Ellen, click here. Her story appeared in the latest issue of HOPE magazine.

Look for HOPE!

“I would say a great big THANK YOU in capital letters. Tell them to come and see, so we can give them a grand tour!” says Sister Louise Schroeder to the many donors who are making the renovation of her home, Providence Hall, a reality. This interview appears in the new winter 2011 issue of HOPE.

Inside this issue you’ll discover the connection between Providence Hall and the convent Saint Mother Theodore Guerin built in 1853. You’ll also learn about the chapel in Providence Hall that provides the sisters with a place to pray, meditate and gather for communal worship.

This issue will introduce you to Mark Ross and Carl Dougherty, two of the many construction workers who have used their skills and talents to renovate this grand structure. You’ll learn that “profanity was way down” at this particular construction site!

In this issue, you’ll meet Providence Associate Mary Ellen Fox of Tulsa, Okla. You’ll discover why this generous donor gives to the Congregation. As with all issues, you’ll also find alumnae/i information, newsnotes, obituaries and a calendar of upcoming events.

Yes, this winter issue of HOPE will soon be in your mailbox. But if you can’t wait, then check out our magazine online by clicking here.

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.