Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin, the 19th-century foundress of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods and numerous schools in Indiana, will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI Oct. 15 along with a 20th-century Mexican bishop and two Italian religious founders.
The announcement came after the pope and cardinals living in Rome met at the Vatican July 1 for an "ordinary public consistory," a meeting which formally ends the sainthood process. Earlier in the year, the pope had recognized the final miracles needed for the canonizations of the four candidates.
The other new saints will be:
---Bishop Rafael Guizar Valencia, a Mexican born in 1877 who spent his life dedicated to preaching and ministering to the poor despite government opposition to the church's activities. Born to a wealthy family, he used family money to establish schools for girls and boys. He died in 1938 in Mexico City and was beatified in 1995 by Pope John Paul II.
---Father Filippo Smaldone, an Italian priest who was born in 1848 and opened an institute for the deaf and mute and looked after their material and spiritual needs. He founded the Institute of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and died in 1923.
---Sister Rosa Venerini, who was born in 1656. The Italian nun founded the Congregation of the "Maestre Pie Venerini." She died in 1728 and was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1952.
Sister Ann Margaret O'Hara, the Congregation's general superior, made the announcement to an assembly of sisters early Saturday morning at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Sister Marie Kevin Tighe, vice postulator and promoter of Mother Theodore's Cause, and Sister Mary Ann Phelan, associate promoter of the Cause, were in Rome to represent the Congregation for the announcement.
"This announcement signifies the culmination of the great effort of the Congregation for almost 100 years. It was a wonderful feeling, truly a moment to be celebrated," Sister Tighe said.
Mother Theodore is the first person from Indiana and only the eighth person from the United States to receive the honor.
"For people of Indiana and for people of all faiths, we have been given a gift in this woman and this woman has been given for all of us," Sister O'Hara said
Born Anne-Thérèse Guérin in France's northern province of Brittany Oct. 2, 1798, Mother Theodore traveled to the United States as a missionary in 1840 at the request of the French-born bishop of Vincennes, Ind.
Mother Theodore, who had been superior of the Sisters of Providence at Ruille-sur-Loire in France, founded the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She and her companions also started Indiana's first boarding school for young girls.
Less than nine months after their arrival, they opened an academy for girls, now known as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, the oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women in the United States.
Before Mother Theodore died May 14, 1856, she set up 10 other Catholic schools throughout Indiana. The Congregation later expanded into Illinois, Massachusetts and California, and now serve in 20 states, Taiwan and China. In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the sisters serve at St. Anthony of Padua School, Gardena.
"Mother Theodore was available to and caring about all people regardless of their faith or their beliefs," Sister O'Hara said. "She really believed in serving God and serving others. By serving others, she was serving the Jesus to whom she had given her life." ---CNS |