The Life and Mission Hall displays photos from the Sisters of Providence life and ministries.

To walk the grounds of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is to sense the history and heritage of our foundress, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, and the generations of Sisters of Providence. The buildings, shrines, grottos and historical markers speak of the spirit that made possible what stands today.

In particular, Providence Center houses the Heritage area which presents exhibits telling the stories of those valiant women who wrote the history of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

The Life and Mission Hall

• The Life and Mission Hall contains museum-quality photographs depicting scenes from the current life and ministries of the Sisters of Providence. Brief captions explain each photo.

• The Dioramas are three-dimensional scenes with accompanying audio descriptions. They give a brief 12-minute history of the Sisters of Providence from Ruillé-sur-Loir, France, through the early days in Indiana.

• The Life and Mission Hall can be accessed through Providence Center. It is a hallway that connects Providence Center to the Church of the Immaculate Conception. It is is open during the center's normal hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Heritage Museum

This statue on display in the Heritage Museum was sent to Saint Mother Theodore Guerin in 1841 by a benefactor of the parish in Soulaines, France.

• Visit the new Daughters of the Forest exhibit

• The Heritage Museum contains the portraits of the general superiors of the Sisters of Providence from Mother Theodore Guerin to the present.

• Precious mementos and historical relics from the Sisters of Providence are also on display. These treasures date as far back as the foundation of the Congregation at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1840.

• The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on exhibit was sent to Mother Theodore Guerin in 1841 by M. Bertaudiere, benefactor of the parish in Soulaines, France, where Mother Theodore served before coming to the United States.

• Display cases tell the stories of significant events in the life and mission of the early foundation and the ensuing years.

• The Heritage Museum is located in Providence Center and is open during the center's normal hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information

For more information about Archives, contact the director by e-mail at archives@spsmw.org or by phone at 812-535-2880.