Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
Foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana

Some children are blessed to realize at a very early age that they are called by God to do a special work. Anne-Therese knew from the moment of her First Holy Community that she was called to love God and to work for God's people. 

Anne-Therese was born in France on Oct 2, 1798. She was educated by her mother at home. Her father was an officer in the French navy.  When she was 15 years old, her father was killed and her mother was unable to cope with the tragedy.  Anne-Therese put off her dream of entering the convent to help her mother with the housework and the garden as well as taking care of her younger sister.

She finally entered the Sisters of Providence of Ruille-sur-Loir when she was 25 years old.  After making vows,  she taught in various schools and visited the sick.  In the summer of 1839, the Bishop of Vincennes, Indiana, sent one of his priests to France to find a religious community to teach religion and tend the sick.  At that time the Diocese of Vincennes included all of Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois.  There were many Catholic immigrants from France, Ireland and Germany in the diocese but very few priests.  The Bishop wanted a community of religious women to help take care and teach the poor of his diocese.  The Mother Superior of the Sisters of Providence suggested  that Sister Theodore move to the United States to help Bishop Brute. 

Sister Theodore Guerin and five other sisters left France on July 12, 1840.  Their arrival in New York on Sept. 4 was not the end of their journey.  They still had to make the long and difficult trek to the wilderness of St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana.  The sisters arrived in October after many adventures. They had traveled by stagecoach, steamboat, canal boat and train.  It had taken three months to arrive at their new home. 

Mother Theodore, as she became known, and the sisters began a school for girls called St. Mary's Academy for Young Ladies. This Academy was the only Catholic boarding school for girls in Indiana for over a decade and later became St. Mary of the Woods College.  As the community grew in number, Mother Theodore started schools in many cities in Indiana as well as two orphanages.

Mother Theodore died on May 14, 1856.  She was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.  A cross was erected at her final resting place with an inscription that reads, "I sleep, but my heart watches over this house which I have built."