Anne Thérèse Guérin was born in France in 1798, and her mother taught her by example to trust in Divine Providence while her father was away serving in the navy. At 15 her father was murdered, and Anne served as a source of strength for her mother and younger sister. At 25 she joined the Sisters of Providence, took the name Sister Théodore, and 17 years later she was sent to establish a new mission in the United States. Despite a lifetime of frail heath, by the time of her death 16 years after coming to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Indiana, Mother Théodore’s mission established the first Catholic women’s college in the United States, opened 11 schools, two orphanages, and a free pharmacy for the poor.
CHALLENGE
St. Théodore Guérin said, “How much good has been accomplished by the Sisters of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods! How much more good they will be able to do if they remain faithful to their holy vocation!” Our holy vocation is how we are called to serve our Creator. Think about your holy vocation today, and prayerfully consider how you can more faithfully live it.
