This October marks the beginning of year-long celebrations in honor of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the Woods, Indiana’s 175 year history in the U.S. Festivities begin on Foundation Day, the day Saint Theodora, also known as Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, and five other sisters set foot on the soil of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. There will be a celebration of the Eucharist at 11 a.m. on October 22, 2014 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception.

October 25 is the grand opening of the shrine of Saint Mother Theodore/Saint Theodora. Tours and light refreshments will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. and conclude with a prayer service at 4 p.m.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods sits on 1200 wooded acres nestled in the Midwest near Terre Haute, Indiana. The peaceful grounds are lovely year-round and feature a marker where St. Theodora first stepped off the carriage, statues of Our Lady of Fatima and honored saints, a grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes, the Saint Anne Shell Chapel, the cemetery of the Sisters of Providence, Our Lady of Providence chapel, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Providence Gift Shop, an alpaca farm, the Sisters of Providence motherhouse, and St. Mary-of-the-Woods College campus as well as the new shrine.

The opportunity to walk the physical steps of a saint and pray close to her remains is a spiritual experience worth the trip.

More celebrations are scheduled for next year as well.

To learn more about Saint Mother Theodore/Saint Theodora, read Seven Principles of Sainthood, The Eighth American Saint, or the children’s book, Saint Theodora and Her Promise to God. Or find out more about the events at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on the Sisters of Providence website.

©2014, Mary K. Doyle