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!

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.