⛪ Saint of the Day : October 03
⛪ Feast Day : May 14 (October 3 for the Sisters of Providence and in Indiana)
Théodore Guérin (October 2, 1798 – May 14, 1856), designated by the Vatican as Saint Theodora, and born Anne-Thérèse Guérin, 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 October 25, 1998, and Pope Benedict XVI canonized her a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church on October 15, 2006. Guérin's feast day is October 3, although some calendars list it in the Roman Martyrology as May 14, her day of death.
Guérin immigrated to Indiana from France in 1840, and became known for her advancement of education, especially in Indiana and in eastern Illinois; founding numerous schools including Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana; and for her care of the orphaned, the sick, and the poor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana.
Anne-Thérèse was nearly 25 years old when she entered the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir, a young community of women religious serving God by providing opportunities for education to children and by caring for the poor, sick and dying.
While teaching and caring for the sick in France, Mother Théodore, then known as Sister St. Theodore, was asked to lead a small missionary band of Sisters of Providence to the United States of America, to establish a motherhouse, to open schools and to share the love of God with pioneers in the Diocese of Vincennes in the State of Indiana. Humble and prone to feelings of unworthiness, Mother Theodore could not imagine that she was suitable for such a mission. Her health was fragile. During her novitiate with the Sisters of Providence, she became very ill. Remedies cured the illness but severely damaged her digestive system; for the remainder of her life she was able to consume only soft, bland foods and liquids. Her physical condition added to her doubts about accepting the mission. Nevertheless, after hours of prayer and lengthy consultations with her superiors, she accepted the mission, fearing that if she did not, no one would venture to the wilderness to share the love of God.
Equipped with little more than her steadfast desire to serve God, Mother Théodore and her five companion Sisters of Providence arrived at the site of their mission at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, the evening of October 22, 1840, and immediately hastened along a muddy, narrow path to the tiny log cabin that served as the chapel. There, they knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to thank God for their safe journey and to ask for God’s blessings for the new mission.
Here, on this hilly, ravine-cut, densely forested land, Mother Théodore would establish a motherhouse, a school and a legacy of love, mercy and justice that continues to this day.
Throughout years of sorrow and years of peace, Mother Théodore relied upon God’s Providence and her own ingenuity and faith for counsel and guidance. She urged Sisters of Providence to “Put yourself gently into the hands of Providence.” In letters to France, she stated, “But our hope is in the Providence of God, which has protected us until the present, and which will provide, somehow, for our future needs.”
In the fall of 1840, the mission at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods consisted only of a tiny log cabin chapel that also served as lodging for a priest, and a small frame farmhouse, where Mother Théodore, the sisters from France and several postulants lived. During that first winter, harsh winds blew from the north to rattle the little farmhouse The sisters were often cold and frequently hungry. But they transformed a porch into a chapel and were comforted by the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the humble motherhouse. Mother Théodore said, “With Jesus, what shall we have to fear?”
During the early years at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Mother Théodore encountered numerous trials: prejudice against Catholics and, especially, against Catholic women religious; betrayals; misunderstandings; the separation of the Congregation in Indiana from the one in Ruillé; a devastating fire that destroyed an entire harvest leaving the sisters destitute and hungry, and frequent life-threatening illnesses. Still she persevered, desiring only that “In all and everywhere may the will of God be done.” In correspondence to friends, Mother Théodore acknowledged the tribulations. She wrote: “If ever this poor little Community becomes settled, it will be established on the Cross; and that is what gives me confidence and makes me hope, sometimes even against hope.”
Less than a year after arriving at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Mother Théodore opened the Congregation’s first Academy and, in 1842, established schools at Jasper, Indiana, and St. Francisville, Illinois By the time of her death on May 14, 1856, Mother Théodore had opened schools in towns throughout Indiana, and the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence was strong, viable and respected. Always, Mother Théodore attributed the growth and success of the Sisters of Providence to God and to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to whom she dedicated the ministry at Saint Mary-of-the- Woods.
Mother Théodore’s holiness was evident to people who knew her, and many described her simply as “saintly”. She possessed the ability to draw out the best in people, to enable them to attain more than they thought possible. Mother Théodore’s love was one of her great hallmarks. She loved God, God’s people, the Sisters of Providence, the Roman Catholic Church and the people she served. She did not exclude anyone from her ministries or her prayers, for she dedicated her life to helping people know God and live better lives.
Mother Théodore knew that alone she could do nothing, but that all things were possible with God. She accepted trials, trouble and occasions when she was treated unjustly as part of her life. In the midst of persecution, Mother Théodore remained true, a faithful woman of God.
Mother Théodore died sixteen years after she arrived at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. During those fleeting years, she touched a countless number of lives—and continues to do so today.
The gift she gives to each succeeding generation is her life as a model of holiness, virtue, love and faith.
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✝️ Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Prayer ✝️
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin,
valiant woman of God,
intercede for us in our needs.
Implore for us through Jesus, the Christ,
the gifts of a living faith,
abiding hope
and steadfast charity,
so that
through a life of prayer
and service with others
we may aid in promoting
the Providence of God
among all peoples.
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, pray for us.
Amen.
(With Ecclesiastical Approval)
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✝️ Novena to Saint Mother Theodore Guerin ✝️
A novena is traditionally nine days of consecutive prayer. The following novena was composed by Mary Ellen Gremelspacher, class of 1962 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
Day 1
Anne Therese Guerin, Saint Theodora, I call upon you to help me through my present situation. You know how dependent I am on God’s Providence to fill my need.
Out of love and respect for your holiness, as well as my admiration for your strength of character, I ask for your assistance now. You were able to withstand so many difficult situations, yet you relied on God’s endless Providence to meet the needs of you and your community.
Please implore Providence, on my behalf, to remember my needs.
(Mention your need or concern)
Thank you, Saint Mother Theodore, for coming to my side at this time of need. Allow me to lean on you with my concerns. Amen.
Day 2
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, again I call your name and ask you to walk with me for another day. You know my fears and concerns. You too experienced hardship and misunderstanding. Therefore, I can humbly come to you, asking for you to pray with me to our generous God to rain down the endless gifts of Providence. I know that my current need is not beyond Providence’s concern for me.
(Mention your need or concern.)
Saint Theodora, you feared what would become of you, and your little community, during those violent storms at sea in 1840. Now I too am experiencing life’s trials and am filled with concern. In your loving compassion, join me in my prayer, and I know our Providential God will hear us.
Thank you, Saint Mother Theodore, for being at my side while I am in such need. Amen.
Day 3
Mother Theodore, you were always so aware of the frailties of those for whom you had responsibility. You were willing to pray for them individually and to privately challenge them to face their spiritual flaws. Please see me as one of your companions who is in need of your wise mentoring.
Stay with me through this time of stress; help me understand what I can do on my own behalf and then pray with me to be graced with what only God’s Providence can provide for me
(Mention your need or concern.)
Thank you, Mother Theodore. It brings me a sense of serenity to know I am not alone. You understood it was your responsibility and your privilege to be at the side of your dearest friends during their final hours of life on earth. Therefore, I know I can count on you to stay with me when I am feeling so needy. With your help, I now release my needs to God’s loving Providence. Amen.
Day 4
Saint Mother Theodore, again I come to you with my need for your assistance. My expectations are unending, but I know Providence’s gifts are too vast to count; therefore, I feel no shame in asking you to keep praying on my behalf.
(Mention your need or concern.)
Saint Mother Theodore, I know you suffered from people who questioned your motives and did not understand your deep spiritual standards as you set about the work of building a community that would endure. You have become a spiritual model for me, so I am making an effort to be more courageous and to set higher spiritual goals for myself. Thank you for your influence upon my soul.
Please help me. Amen.
Day 5
My dear Saint Mother Theodore, you knew the exhaustion and fear of an uncertain future. Therefore, I know you can sympathize with the concerns I am carrying now.
God’s Providence always brought good and generous people into your life to assist you in bringing your saintly goals to fruition. Please help me to purify my own motives in order to overcome the needs of my ego. Let my only desire be what God wills. Allow me to learn from your sense of purpose and grow in your ability to rely on God’s Providence to bring the outcome that will bless those who are affected by my life. If it be God’s will, I ask for this favor.
(Mention your need or concern.)
Please send your blessings to me. Stay by my side, my dear Anne Therese Guerin. Amen.
Day 6
Saint Mother Theodore, again and again you wrestled with unrelenting misunderstanding between you and the local bishop. It obviously caused you great emotional and spiritual pain even though you were supported by your companions, your spiritual director and your own prayerful insights. Today, throughout the church, similar conflicts continue to divide the souls of the faithful, and it brings scandal to the whole world.
In your lifetime, you relied on Saint Joseph, the Patron of the Church, to join with you in asking for God’s Providence to intervene … and it did! I can only imagine the great love that flows between your two sacred souls … as you and Saint Joseph share the overwhelming joy of God’s will being done in heaven — as we desire it to be done on earth.
I ask for you and Saint Joseph to intercede for me today.
(Mention your need or concern.) Amen.
Day 7
What happiness it brings me to reflect on your life and to come to an understanding of how God’s Providence sustained you in so many forms.
Saint Mother Theodore, I am aware your dear friends petitioned the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Victory, on your behalf. Their nine-days novena imploring the Blessed Mother to restore you to good health did in fact bring about a cure. Please ask these same good souls, these holy and dear friends of yours who share your heavenly home, to join in praying for me now.
It is beyond my comprehension to imagine you, the Holy Virgin Mary, your friends and all the blessed souls, since the beginning of time, praising God and interceding for us here on earth. We need God’s providential care. I join in your praise and add my petition to that endless heavenly choir.
(Mention your need or concern.)
Thank you, my dear Saint Mother Theodore. Amen.
Day 8
My dear Anne Therese, today I come to you as a close friend. Speaking to you so openly each day allows me to feel the freedom to address you so intimately.
There seems to be something in your nature that comes to me as extraordinarily warm and endearing. The fact that you and your companions erected Saint Anne’s Shell Chapel deep among the trees at your beloved Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was a fitting way to honor Mary for miraculously saving you and your companions from drowning. Honoring Mary’s mother, Anne, was a unique inspiration that only one who loves with a daughter’s heart could understand. I too thank Mary Immaculate for sparing you to serve God as her son willed. Though I’m not in danger of drowning at sea, you know how consumed I am with my own needs. Please call upon Saint Anne and our holy Mother Mary to join you and me in asking for God’s assistance.
(Mention your need or concern.)
With you, my Mother Theodore, I ask God to help me to know and do God’s will during my time on earth. Amen.
Day 9
Mother Theodore, it seems right that I call you that. You were the spiritual mother to your fledgling group, the Sisters of Providence, where you showed that you loved each individual as if she were a beloved only child. You were given this ability to appreciate and articulate each person’s abilities and God-given attributes because you understood how important it is that we use our gifts to make God’s love visible in the world.
Your spiritual insights also gave you the wisdom to sense frailties and flaws that needed to be corrected. I desire that same kind of spiritual and earthly care. Look upon me with tenderness in my time of need.
Because you are a loving and spiritual mother, I ask you to also direct my spirit so I can better understand both the blessings and the frailties I carry within my soul. I aspire to be a more effective witness to God’s goodness, but I often let my own needs come first. Assist me in becoming more spiritually mature. Nevertheless, I also continue to ask you to intercede with your motherly love for me in my current need.
(Mention your need or concern.)
Thank you for your help, dear mother. Amen.
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