That’s an oversimplification, of course. Sister Maureen has spent countless hours culling morsels of information for volume four of the Sisters of Providence history. Her work will fall in line behind the more than 1,800 pages of documented history already written in three volumes by Sisters Mary Borromeo Brown (RIP), Eugenia Logan (RIP) and Mary Roger Madden. This segment will cover the years 1926 to 1966.
The annual observance of Women in History Month seems like an appropriate opportunity to begin sharing Sister Maureen’s journey, even though the conclusion is several months away.
Sister Maureen accepted the challenge to write volume four while she has continued working in other ministries, most notably for the tribunal of the Archdiocese of Portland (Ore.) She has made periodic visits to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods since November, 2004, to gather information. She has exchanged phone calls and emails with the Archives staff to check and obtain detailed facts. She writes in her basement office in Portland.
The end is in sight. She intends to have her writing finished before the end of this year. “I’m hoping it will be finished by fall. I don’t know about the editing. On December 31, 2012, I’m out of here!” she said, chuckling.
“I have to say I have learned a lot. I am a good writer, but I had no experience in doing historical research. It was a real learning curve for me.”
The Sisters of Providence have definitely made their presence known as women in history (also the present for that matter) and as the annual observance continues, we’ll share a couple more postings later this month about Sister Maureen’s work. In the meantime, what are your memories about some of the Sisters of Providence you have known? Why not post some of your thoughts to share with others?
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