South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, October 16, 2009 Page: 5 of 20
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SOUTH TEXAS CATHOLIC • OCTOBER 1 6, 2009
VOCATIONS I 5
St. Theodore Guerin: Woman of Zeal
By Sister Lou Ella Hickman, IWBS, • STC correspondent
Editor’s note: Sister Barbara Bluntzer, who
has served in the Diocese of Corpus Christi
for many years, including most recently at St.
Pius X Parish, is a member of the Sisters of
Providence of St. Mary of the Woods, which
was established by St. Theodore Guerin.
She died at 58. In spite of many years of
poor health she lived with determination—a
determination marked with the inspiration
that brought her to America from France.
That inspiration came from the rule of her
religious order, “The Congregation being
obliged to work with zeal for the sanctification
of souls, the sisters will be disposed to go to
whatsoever part of the world obedience calls
them .” The operative word was “zeal.”
Named Anne-Therese at birth, Mother
Theodore was born in 1798 as the madness of
the French Revolution was ending. Not only
were churches closed; Catholic priests were in
exile or murdered, religious communities shut
down and many schools were closed as well.
Even in the midst of this spiritual vacuum,
Anne-Therese grew into a devout child thanks
to her mother who taught her two daughters
reading and catechism. Anne-Therese was
also instructed by a former seminarian who
lived with the Guerin family for a short while.
She made her First Communion at 10; two
years earlier than the normal age of 12.
After her father was murdered, Anne-
Therese’s mother was so inconsolable she
become incapacitated. She had already lost
two children, now, she had lost her husband
as well. Suddenly at 15, Anne-Therese would
have to shoulder the responsibility of car-
ing for both her mother and younger sister,
Jeanne--a responsibility which included the
family’s home and garden.
At twenty, she approached her mother
for permission to enter the Carmelites. Still
battered by her losses, her mother refused.
It would take another five years before she
would be able to let her daughter go.
The order Anne-Therese chose was the
recently founded Sisters of Providence whose
ministry was to teach and work with the poor.
During her novitiate, she was sent to teach
and it was during this time she contacted a
serious illness. The doctors did more harm
than good which resulted in damaging her
digestive system. After first vows, she was
named superior in a convent in Rennes teach-
ing young girls for eight years. She was then
transferred to Soulanis where she was again
named superior.
Into this picture, steps Bishop Celestine
de la Hailandiere of Vincennes, Indiana. He
approached Mother Mary Lecor, the order’s
superior, asking for sisters to come to the
United States. Mother Theodore did not vol-
unteer at first as she was still in frail health
and had no desire to be a missionary. As a
result, she was fearful that she might hamper
the missionary effort; however, Mother Mary
still encouraged her to pray about it and pray
she did. In the end, she decided to go and the
adventure began.
The trip to America was long and har-
rowing. She and her small group of sisters
endured a three month ocean voyage punctu-
ated with severe storms and a hurricane. There
was no representative of the bishop when they
landed in New York. Stranded and speaking
no English, the small group was befriended
by a doctor who had come aboard ship along
with the custom officials. Several days later,
they were finally on their way to Vincennes
with a French priest. Traveling weeks by
stagecoach, they finally arrived on October
22, 1840. Their lodging consisted of a frame
house and a few sheds hidden in the deep
woods of Indiana.
Then, at Christmas, Mother Theodore be-
came seriously ill—an illness which lingered
for two months. Although she was still not
completely well, she began her work on her
school that eventually would become Saint
Mary-of-the-Woods College. The sisters
opened another school in Jasper, Indiana the
following March and in October, two sisters
were on their way to Illinois. Mother Theo-
dore considered the foundation in Jasper to
be “her eldest daughter.”
Hunger, heat, humidity, cold, and summer
mosquitoes would plague their efforts in
establishing their community. In 1841 a fire
destroyed not only their barn but their har-
vest as well. Yet these problems were small in
comparison to the battles Mother Theodore
would have with Bishop Hailandiere. He
refused to support the community and in
turn believed he had total control over the
community’s internal affairs. The war came
to a head when the bishop released Mother
Theodore from her vows and demanded she
leave the diocese. She was not the only one
sparring with the bishop—religious orders as
well as diocesan priests were having their own
difficulties. It was at this point the Vatican
stepped in. In the end, Bishop Hailandiere
resigned and the Vatican appointed John
Stephen Bazin to replace him. With ecclesial
support, Mother Theodore could return to
her work of building—both her religious
community and schools. This would include
traveling to all the community’s foundations
which included schools in 10 of Indiana's cit-
ies as well as one in Illinois.
Her frail health went from bad to worse
and when she died in May of 1856 she left a
legacy that expanded to various ministries
in 20 states, Washington, D.C., Taiwan, and
China. The sisters still run Saint Mary-of-
the-Woods, the oldest Catholic liberal arts
college for women in the nation. A statue has
been erected in her honor in the garden area
around the National Shrine of the Immaculate
TCP A_
From page 4
them. Referring to the young Junior Catholic
Daughters in attendance, she urged present day
Court members to be aware of their heritage,
to embrace the youth of their parishes, and to
transmit their Catholic values to them. The
Court sponsors Junior Catholic Daughters,
which was installed in Feb. of 2009. The girls
who range in age from 9 through 18 participate
in various community services, educational
and spiritual programs throughout the year
with the overall goal of living out the gospel
message of Jesus.
As a part of the program long-standing
■S
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Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin is
depicted in an image released by the
Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-
the-Woods, Ind. The French-born
missionary, who established the Indiana
order and several schools in the state in
the mid-1800s, will be canonize d Oct.
15 in Rome. (CNS photo/courtesy of
Sisters of Providence)
Conception in Washington, D.C.
In conclusion, St. Augustine asked the
pointed question of himself, “If these men
and women (the early martyrs) could do it,
why not I?” St. Theodore Guerin’s life of zeal
was lived out in her wholehearted response to
God’s call. That response challenges all those
who desire to live fully: “Why not I?” Why
not, indeed?
Litany in Honor of Mother Theodore
For all those who suffer from chronic
illness...
Mother Theodore intercede for them.
For all those who suffer from economic
hardship...
Mother Theodore intercede for them.
For all those who are fearful and have no
one to support them ...
Mother Theodore intercede for them.
For all those who struggle to help bring
about the kingdom ...
Mother Theodore intercede for them.
For an increase of religious vocations...
Mother Theodore pray for us.
members were recognized and thanked for
their years of service. Members receiving an-
niversary pins were: 50 year pin, Marie Walsh;
40 year pin, Alice Didear; Esther Mauricio, and
Bonnie Pereida, 45 Year pin; Mary Brooks,
Martha Kaler; Frances Marsden, Dorothy
Shenkir, and Louise Tom.
Following the awards former regents were
recognized for their service. Those present
were: Orfelinda Hernandez, Julia Guerrero,
Valerie Commons, and Marie Walsh. It was
noted that in addition to being a member for
50 years, Marie Walsh had served as regent five
times. The first being in 1962 the last in 1999.
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Beaton, Paula J. South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, October 16, 2009, newspaper, October 16, 2009; Corpus Christi, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth855706/m1/5/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .