The Sisters

It all began with an invitation from the Bishop Simon Brute from the Diocese of Vincennes in early 1840 to the Sisters of Providence of Ruille-Sur-Loir France to open a school.

Sister St. Theodore Guerin accompanied by five other sisters: Sister St. Vincent Ferrer (Victoire) Gagé, Sister Basilide (Josephine) Sénéschal, Sister Olympiade (Therese) Boyer, Sister Mary Xavier (Francis Louise) Lerée and Sister Mary Liguori (Louise Frances) Tiercin were the ones chosen to come.  

After a rough journey across the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern United States, the sisters arrived in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana in October 1840.  On October 22, 1840, The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was formed.  Since that date, over 5200 women have entered the Sisters of Providence. 

Educators from the beginning, the Sisters began to build an all girls school called "The Academy" in 1840. The first student arrived on July 4, 1841.

Over time, the Sisters found themselves in charge of staffing other schools in the area.  St. Joseph's Parochial Catholic School, St. Benedict's German Catholic School, and St. Patrick's Day School, all in nearby Terre Haute were among them.   As their reputation grew, the Sisters of Providence would eventually staff schools across Indiana. They would also extend their ministry into Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, other states and the District of Columbia. They have also staffed schools internationally in China, Taiwan, and Arequipa, Peru.

During the Civil War, the Sisters were asked to take over the administration at the City Hospital in Indianapolis.  Many of the Sisters were also on duty at Confederate Prison in Indianapolis that at one time held over 7000 prisoners.  At the end of the war, the hospital was returned to the City and the sisters opened St. John's Infirmary for the soldiers that had no place to go, and were not yet fit to travel.  
Today, The Sisters work in the areas of education, health care, peace and justice, social services and spiritual development. In addition to the individual ministries of its sisters, the congregation funds multiple ministry organizations.  

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