Visitors enjoy beautiful fall day

What's not to like about Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, especially during autumn, right? Well, about 35 visitors spent part of a Saturday October afternoon here in an outing organized by Terre Haute Landmarks, Inc. You would guess that group is in to historical preservation, so, again, what better place to visit?

They started inside the Church of the Immaculate Conception, then visited the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and the Heritage Museum. They also were paid a visit from Saint Mother Theodore, a.k.a. Sister Jeannette Hagelskamp. The day was spectacular, so the group split for personal tours around the grounds on their own. Especially attractive were the St. Anne Shell Chapel and the alpacas, of course.

Marlene Lu, who helped organize the event for Terre Haute Landmarks, said the visitors were thrilled with their experience.

Letter from a saint

Portions of a letter to the Most Rev. J. Bouvier

(The Most Rev. J. Bouvier was the Bishop of Le Mans, France. This letter was dated April 20, 1854.)

“America is truly a wonderful country for ‘improvements,’ an English word which will soon be received into our language, if it has not been already. You will see from an oil painting which we intend sending you next summer, how much we have ‘improved’ Saint Mary’s where, fourteen years ago, we were received through charity into a small frame house, the picture of which you have. You perceive a great change already in the little sketch enclosed with this letter.

“The exterior changes are not, however, the most important ones. When you sent your six daughters to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, you thought they were going to lay the foundation of an establishment which, later on, would be of service to religion; but with the means you made use of — these persons, so poor in every respect, strangers to the country, the customs, and the language of the New World — you never expected to see the fruits of your zeal crowned with so much success. Today we are eighty persons in our Community, sixty-four, including twelve novices, wearing the religious habit, and sixteen postulants. There are nearly a thousand children in our schools, eighty-five boarders here at the Academy, thirty-seven of whom are Catholics.” (“Journals and Letter,” pp. 375-376)

To learn more about the Interim Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, click here.

Finding dedicated followers of the Gospel

“I have chosen to become a Providence Associate because I have found in this Journey of Providence a community of sincere and dedicated followers of the Gospel. Witnessing the Gospel being lived out in the lives of the Sisters of Providence encouraged me and it has made a profound impact on my life,” shares Catherine “Cathy” Keller, an associate from Newburgh, Ind.

Cathy (pictured standing, far right) was companioned by Sister Dorothy Rasche (seated, left). That relationship continues to deepen as Cathy meets Sister Dorothy once a month for spiritual direction.

To learn more about Cathy’s Journey in Providence, click here.

Queen of Mothers, Queen of Home - and Office and Classroom...

I learned the song ‘Our Lady of Providence’ during my first weeks at the Woods (SMWC). Sister Sue Pietrus taught it to us so we could lead the students in song during the first liturgy of the school year. It has stuck with me ever since. Several years later when I married my husband, Sister Sue also gave me a beautiful framed picture of Our Lady of Providence that now resides in our entry way, visible every time I come and go into our home.

I work in a small private, for-profit company. This definitely adds a filter to my perspective on Providence and how it guides and motivates my daily life. My days are filled with creative/design sessions, email/inbox mitigations, project management and office meetings. Throw in some class lectures, project assignments, car seat lugging, diaper changing, dinner preparation, and enriching discussions with my husband and you get a good idea of how a typical day might go.

Working in a secular environment, I am sure many would assume that spirituality has little to do with my day to day work. Regarding the subject matter of our work that is true, but I can’t check my faith at the door or leave my spirituality in the car when I enter the building. I could do that as easily as I could forget my husband and children throughout the day or ignore the child that jumped in my womb during a meeting when I was very pregnant.

As I gain more experience in my work, I realize how important my connection with Providence is with what I do. Perhaps it is an underlying guide – like a ‘Providence Gauge’ that helps to direct my reactions to co-workers and the work that I do. I have felt my most successful projects have been those that were guided by that internal gauge, via communication style and end goals. And almost ALL of our success is surrounded by effective communication and openness to creativity. My spirituality and faith guide me in how well I do at both tasks.

Now, that I have decided to go back to school, it seems that the more focused and positive I can remain in my day-to-day activities, the more successful I can be at actually continuing at this pace. Everything that I am doing is extremely important to me. My time with my husband and family are the most important things to me. They drive why I do other things. My work helps to provide the means to keep our family running. It also enriches my life experience and makes me more capable of raising my children. And, my new adventures into academia are already helping me to grow as an entire person.

There is an underlying spirit that stays with me - that makes me 'Beth' in each role that I am in during a given part of the day. I wouldn't be able to manage if I couldn't take a piece Our Lady's guidance and wisdom out into those different roles. Those roles are like different worlds at time, only connected by my single life thread. I know that the Queen of Mothers can watch over me and my family – not just in the home, but the office, the classroom, and everywhere we roam.

Tough to wrap your arms around this one

No matter what your personal "wing span" might be, it would be tough to wrap your arms around a tamarack tree near Corbe House at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. It was recently named an Indiana Big Tree State Champion. This is the first tree at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods to be selected as a state champion.

The tamarack (larix laricina) stands at a height of 78 feet with a circumference of 102.50 inches and a crown spread of 12.62 feet. In comparison, the largest such tree on the National Registry of Big Trees is 71 feet high, 133 inches in circumferences and crown spread of 60 feet.

So, what better time of year to go tree-watching than autumn when nature gives us a style show of brilliant colors before winter shivers the tall timbers? Nature’s beauty, certainly, will be in full array at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods soon where more than 300 acres of certified natural forest land can be enjoyed.

In April, 1999, an Eastern Hemlock (tsuga canadensis) was named a Vigo County Big Tree Champion with measurements of 50.60 feet in height, 82.00 inches in circumference and 19.35 in crown spread. A tamarack tree also was selected as Vigo County Big Tree Champion in 1999 with a height of 46.50 feet, circumference of 97.50 inches and a crown spread of 26.50 feet.

One year later, another tree was named Vigo County Big Tree Champion. A Kentucky coffee tree (gymnocladus dioicus) was measured at 83.40 feet tall, 135.00 inches in circumference and crown spread of 18.90 feet.

About 70 different species of trees can be found at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, many of which are native to the region. The Indiana Big Tree program is sponsored by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry. Trees Inc. of Terre Haute presented the award.

(Photo provided by Janet Eger, district forester with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.)

Terre Haute Landmarks hosts historical tour Saturday, Oct. 9, at SMW

Terre Haute Landmarks Inc. and the Sisters of Providence will host the Second Saturdays program from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Visitors will begin their journey in the Church of the Immaculate Conception where Sister Jeanne Knoerle will talk to them about the church's history and architecture.

Sister Mary Roger Madden will speak to visitors at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, which also is architecturally and artistically unique.

Sister Donna Butler, a member of the Congregation's Archives staff, will greet visitors at the Heritage Museum to learn more about the historically important memorabilia that the Congregation has collected through the years.

Visitors also will be treated to a rare visit from Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and they will be able to tour the grounds. Light refreshments will be served. Guests will be invited to register for a drawing for two free Sunday Brunch tickets. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was recently voted to have the best Sunday brunch offering in the Terre Haute area.

For more information or to RSVP for the visit to historic Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, contact Marlene Lu at 812-237-2824 or at marlene.lu@indstate.edu. Read more in our news release.

Indiana sisters visit Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

Representatives of women-religious communities based in Indiana visited Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Wednesday, Oct. 6, for their semiannual gathering. Congregations represented were Sisters of Saint Francis, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Tipton, Victory Noll Sisters, Sisters of Saint Benedict, Discalced Carmelite Nuns and the host Sisters of Providence. Shown here are, front row, Sisters Jean Alice McGoff, OCD; Denise Wilkinson, SP, and Juliann Babcock, OSB. Second row: Sisters Marsha Speth, SP; Bernice Stenger, OSF; Paula Damiano, SP; Christa Franzer, OSF; Sharon Kuhn, OSB; and Jane Marie Osterholt, SP. Third row: Sisters Miriam Kaeser, OSF; Nancy Reynolds, SP; Terese Boresig, OCD; and Theresa MacIntyre, CSJ. They met for prayer and conversation and spent time enjoying the grounds of the Sisters of Providence.

Providence Candidate-Associates to come for orientation

The first group of Providence Candidate-Associates for 2010-2011 will meet at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Saturday for orientation. Eight candidates and their companions will meet for a day of orientation to the Providence Associate Relationship. The day will include time for prayer, Eucharistic Liturgy and conversation.

The next orientation at the Woods will be Saturday, Oct. 23, for 10 candidates and their companions. An orientation for our three candidates in Taiwan will take place at a later date.

To learn more about the Providence Associate Relationship, click here.

Letter from a saint

Portions of a letter to the Most Rev. J. Bouvier

(The Most Rev. J. Bouvier was the Bishop of Le Mans, France. This letter was dated Jan. 6, 1854.)

“Our boarding school here at Saint Mary’s is also well attended — seventy-eight pupils. But what most consoles us is the good that is being done here. Not only are there always several receiving instruction for Baptism, but there are many Catholics who are learning to know and serve God. The Catholics of this locality have for the past thirty years seen a priest only once a month, in passing, and some even only once a year. They are Christians, yet for the most part, very ignorant, scarcely knowing what is absolutely indispensable. Their daughters, brought up in our school where there is, I may say, a good spirit, return home like little apostles. They are listened to so much the more willingly because they are greatly loved. You would be consoled could you see the fervor and piety of these young girls. At the great feasts they prepare themselves for the reception of the sacraments by a retreat which they make with as much regularity as the Sisters do. This year we have over thirty Catholic boarders, which shows you the prosperity of the country. Ten or twelve years ago there were not ten Catholics in Indiana who could pay for the board and tuition of their daughters, even for six months; at present a large number are able to give then a good education.” (“Journals and Letter,” p. 363)

To view some historical sketches of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, click here.

Happy birthday, Saint Mother Theodore!

On Saturday, Oct. 2, we celebrate the birthday of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. Mother Theodore entered this world on this date in 1798 in the village of Etables-sur-Mer in Brittany, France. Her parents gave her the name Anne-Thérèse.

October is indeed a celebration of the life and ministry of Saint Mother Theodore. On Sunday, Oct. 3, we celebrate her Feast Day. Everyone is invited to Eucharistic Liturgy in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at 11 a.m. (EDT). After Mass, enjoy Sunday Brunch in O’Shaughnessy Dining Room. (You are also invited to a blessing of the installation of the Providence Pavers. This ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. (EDT) near the fountain and Our Lady of Campus, just west of the church.)

On Oct. 22, 1840, Mother Theodore and her sister-companions arrived at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. We celebrate this as our Foundation Day. Every Sister of Providence knows the famous words spoken by Father Buteux on this historic evening: “Come down, Sisters, we have arrived.”

To learn more about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, visit our website.

A gift from Vietnam

The vestment and prayer beads pictured at right are gifts to the Congregation from the Lovers of the Holy Cross in Vietnam. They were presented to the Congregation by Sister Ann Vang Tran, a member of the Vietnamese congregation.

Sister Ann is living with the Sisters of Providence in Owens Hall as she attends Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She is working on her master’s degree in pastoral theology. Sister Ann has studied in the United States for five years and came to the Woods in June. In August she returned to Vietnam for several weeks to renew her visa and to be present for her sister’s final vows in another religious congregation. She brought the vestment and the prayer beads with her when she returned to the Woods in September.

Father Daniel Hopcus will wear the vestment this Sunday, Oct. 3, the Feast Day of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. Mass begins at 11 a.m. (EDT) All are welcome to attend.

Profile of our 2010-2011 Providence Candidate-Associates

“I feel an emptiness I wish to fill. Becoming aware of the charism and the mission of the Sisters of Providence I feel I will be filled with grace which in turn will help fill my emptiness.”

This is what one person wrote on her application to become a Providence Candidate-Associate. Twenty other people submitted applications to become Providence Associates. Eighteen women and men will attend a day of orientation at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Oct. 9 or 23. Three people from Taiwan will attend an orientation at a later date.

Just who are these 2010-2011 candidate-associates? Sixteen are women and five are men. Seventeen are Catholic. To find out more about these candidates, click here.

Letter from a saint

Portions of a letter to Sister Basilide Sénéschal in Madison, Ind.

(This letter was dated Nov. 3, 1851.)

“Sister Mary Cecilia [Bailly] has a very severe cold. Her lungs are so weak that I have fear when I hear her cough. She never complains. When she says she is sick it will be time to give her Extreme Unction. I do not see her for weeks, except in the chapel.

“If you could attract more pupils for music I would be very glad; for, first, Sister Celestia can teach it very well, and, second, we are going to be in pressing need for our new house. The carpenter asks thirty-five hundred dollars for the work alone, without even furnishing a nail. Imagine what will be needed for the whole — not a cent less than ten thousand dollars. Where shall we find this amount? But, after all, we are the daughters of Divine Providence. The sum will be paid in a short time, I mean in a few years. I wish I were as sure that we shall then be good Religious.” (“Journals and Letter,” pp. 323-324)

To learn more about Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly, click here.

The Red Mass

Hard to believe that a tradition started in the year 1245 still has relevance today. But that's the year that a Red Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Paris. It soon spread to other European countries. The tradition made its way to the United States in 1877 at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Detroit.

What is a Red Mass? Well, it is a special liturgy that invokes blessings from the Holy Spirit for judges, attorneys, professors, students, paralegals and government officials who work for or administer justice in our society.

The Sisters of Providence will host a Red Mass at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The liturgy is open to the public and to people of all faith traditions.

Because our Red Mass will be offered on a Sunday, we are obligated to follow the readings of the day, the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time. But, as Providence would have it, those readings offer a justice theme. Also, special blessings will be offered in addition to the regular liturgy.

The best-known Red Mass is celebrated on the last Sunday of September in Washington, D.C., to recognize the opening of a new year for the Supreme Court of the United States, which is Oct. 1. Several, if not all, Supreme Court justices attend that mass, along with high-ranking government officials.

The Sisters of Providence hosted their first Red Mass in 2008, with the permission of the Archbishop of Indianapolis. The liturgical celebration is being restarted this year with the hope of making an annual offering. Those who work for and administer justice in the Terre Haute area have received special invitations. Those who attend will process into the church and several of them will participate as liturgical ministers.

The Red Mass has been a tradition in several larger cities in the United States for decades. And for trivia enthusiasts, think about this: An episode of The West Wing, starring Martin Sheen as President Jed Bartlett, was titled "The Red Mass."

Letter from a saint

Portions of a letter to Queen Amelia of France

(In the spring of 1843, Mother Theodore and Sister Mary Cecilia Bailly traveled to France to seek funds for the fledgling community that was devastated by the October 1842 fire. Thanks to Queen Amelia the visit was a success and money was donated to the sisters’ cause. This letter was dated April 28, 1844.)

“Before leaving my beloved country I wished to tell you the pleasure it gave me to receive the portrait of Your Majesty. I was writing to you when the Commissary General came to say that the ship was waiting for me. I was thus obliged to hasten to embark, as the Nashville was already under sail. In a few minutes we had left France.

“The voyage was long and perilous. On the twenty-second of December, beginning at two o’clock in the morning, there was a frightful tempest. At one time the ship was turned on end by angry waves. In this moment of danger, after the example of one of our Kings, we invoked the God of the Queen. We asked Him sadly why He let us find favor with her, if we were to perish now. He heard our supplications and reversed the ship to natural position in manner quite miraculous.” (“Journals and Letter,” p. 130)

For quick facts about the life of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, click here.