Anne Thérèse Guérin, designated by the Vatican as Saint Theodora, was a French-American saint and the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, a congregation of Catholic sisters at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. Pope John Paul II beatified Guérin on 25 October 1998, and Pope Benedict XVI canonized her a saint of the Catholic Church on 15 October 2006. Mother Guérin's feast day is 3 October, although some calendars list it in the Roman Martyrology as 14 May, her day of death.
Providence Cristo Rey High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Indianapolis, Indiana. Opened in 2007 as a part of the Cristo Rey Network, it is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis and is sponsored by the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are an apostolic congregation of Catholic women founded by Saint Theodora Guerin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in 1840. Mother Theodore and her five companion sisters departed from the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir, France, at the invitation of the Bishop of Vincennes, Indiana, to found the Sisters of Providence in the United States. In 1843, the Indiana congregation became independent of the religious institute in Ruillé, and the Rules of the Congregation were approved by the Holy See in 1887.
Mother Mary Cleophas Foley, S.P., was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana from 1890 to 1926. During her time in office, she completed the building of the Church of the Immaculate Conception and built numerous other buildings at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, including a new Providence Convent, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, and an infirmary.
Sister Jeanne Knoerle, S.P., was an author, educator and theologian. A Roman Catholic religious sister, she was a member of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She was president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana from 1968 to 1983. Other posts were with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and with the Lilly Endowment.
Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly, S.P., was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana from 1856 to 1868, directly succeeding the congregation's foundress Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. During her time in office, she began rebuilding the Academy and sent Sisters of Providence to staff military hospitals in Indianapolis and Vincennes, Indiana during the American Civil War.
Mother Anastasie Brown, S.P.,, was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana from 1868 to 1874. During her term, the congregation had financial difficulties stemming from the Panic of 1873. Both prior to and following her time in office, Brown was Directress of the Academy, a women's college run by the Sisters of Providence now known as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
Mother Mary Ephrem Glenn, S.P. was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana from 1874 to 1883. During her term, she established missions beyond Indiana for the first time and greatly reduced the Congregation's indebtedness, which was partly a result of the Panic of 1873.
Mother Euphrasie Hinkle, S.P. was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1883 to 1889. She was a convert from Methodism. During her term, she established missions of the Sisters of Providence in Chicago, Illinois and Chelsea, Massachusetts. She began building the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the motherhouse grounds in 1886. She died in office August 27, 1889.
Mother Mary Raphael Slattery, S.P., was the superior general of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1926 to 1938. During her term, her business sense helped the congregation through the Great Depression. In the midst of the Depression, Slattery had Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, originally under the finances of the congregation, separately incorporated in order to protect its future.
Women of Providence in Collaboration or WPC is an association of congregations of North American Roman Catholic religious sisters with "Providence" in their name. It initially grew out of an idea by Sister Michelle Holland, SP, to have an event for religious congregations to come together with the purpose of "exploring together the theology and spirituality of Providence." This event occurred in 1980 in Great Falls, Montana, and 80 sisters from varying congregations attended.
Mother Mary Bernard Laughlin, S.P., was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1938 to 1948. During her term, she coordinated the 100th anniversary of the Congregation, which was founded in 1840 by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, and led the sisters through World War II.
Mother Marie Helene Franey, S.P., was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana from 1948-1953. In 1952, she was appointed by the Sacred Congregation of Religious in Rome to serve on an International Commission of 40 superior generals. She was one of three superior generals from the United States to serve on this Commission.
Mother Gertrude Clare Owens, S.P., was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1954 to 1960. During her term, she established a sister-formation program to help develop new postulants and novices. She also built a new novitiate at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, which was later named Owens Hall in her honor.
Mother Rose Angela Horan, S.P., was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1960–1966. During her term, she supervised the division of the Congregation into separate regions as well as provinces. She expanded the ministries of the Sisters of Providence through Providence Retirement Home, opened in New Albany, Indiana, in 1962. Horan also oversaw the construction of Guerin High School in River Grove, Illinois, and sent Sisters of Providence to minister in Arequipa, Peru.
Mother Mary Pius Regnier, S.P. was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1966 to 1976. She held office immediately following the Second Vatican Council, a time when Roman Catholic congregations underwent drastic changes. Regnier began the process for revising the Congregation's Constitutions to bring it into accordance with the Church's recommendations for the renewal of religious life.
Sister Anne Doherty, S.P., was an American religious sister, educator, professor and psychologist. She served as the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1981–1986. During her term, the Constitutions of the Sisters of Providence gained papal approbation.
SisterNancy Nolan, S.P. was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 1986-1996. During her term, she completed renovation of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Nolan also oversaw the 150th anniversary of the Congregation, founded by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin in 1840, and completed the construction of Providence Center at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
SisterDiane Ris, S.P., was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, USA, from 1996 to 2001. She was also an educator and author.
SisterDenise Wilkinson, S.P. is a Catholic leader, writer and educator. She was the Superior General of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, from 2006 to 2016. During her term, the congregation's foundress Saint Mother Theodore Guerin was canonized a saint. Wilkinson also oversaw the founding of the Providence Associates program, the renovation of several properties at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, and long-range planning for the Sisters of Providence.
