Last Friday we remembered the horror of September 11, 2001 and the 3000+ people who lost their lives in the attack on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the plane that went down in Shanksville, PA. We also remembered the heroes from that day, the fireman and first responders who ran into the burning buildings to save people’s lives, and…
As we prepare to celebrate this Labor Day holiday our country seems to be in crisis. We have seen wild fires raging, homes destroyed, peaceful and violent protests in our cities’ streets, people being shot, a toddler the victim of a hit and run, and divisive rhetoric everywhere in tweets and news cycles. We have seen powerful images that show…
Two weeks ago, as I mourned the loss of my longtime friend, Mary, another friend, Jean, sent me a book by Ron Rolheiser, OMI that I didn’t know about nor have. The title is: Forgotten Among the Lilies: Learning to Love Beyond Our Fears. In it were some chapters on dealing with grief that she thought might be helpful. They…
Some of you may have seen the Facebook post about the death of Barbara Doherty, SP this week. She was a Sister of Providence from St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN but even more, a giant among Providence Sisters everywhere. She was one of a group of women who gathered in 1984 at the first Providence Colloquium where they began to explore this…
The Sisters of Providence from St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN sent me this statement and article dealing with the death penalty and the recent executions. “For the first time in 17 years, the bells tolled at the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. for each of the three federal executions during the week of…
As the Corona virus continues to spike in certain parts of our nation I have heard it said that we are living in uncertain times; that we are in crisis. I believe on one hand that is true. Each day we hear news about more people testing positive for Covid 19, hospitals being overrun again in ICU spaces, protective gear…
This past week on Wednesday, July 1, the Scripture reading for daily Mass was from the prophet Amos. The first lines caught my attention. “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; then truly will the Lord God of hosts be with you as you claim! Hate evil and love good, and let justice prevail.” It seemed to speak…
From the Generalate of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Rhode Island Sister Maria shares how they are dealing with the pandemic there. “The unfolding Covid-19 pandemic has affected most, if not all parts, of the World Community. Certainly, it is present in all parts of the international Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence. As the units of our…
For an apostolic congregation, the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary- of- the- Woods, sharing “love, mercy and justice among God’s people” can be challenging during this time of social distancing. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin once advised her sisters to rely on “Providence, that so far has never failed us.” The SPs are heeding this advice as they become more…
Sister of Providence, Anne Hemstock, tells us how the lives of her Sisters have changed due to Covid-19. She writes: “Wash your hands,”, “stay home,” “social distancing,” “stay apart while staying connected,” are all themes repeated over and over everywhere. “Unfortunately, Anawim Place a small food bank operated by the Sisters in downtown Edmonton has had to close until further…