Providence Center at Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods announces a new way to enjoy touring by using handheld audiophones.

Ten of the lightweight units are available at the Providence Center welcome desk. Each is programmed with tour information about the sites and history of many indoor and outdoor attractions at the Sisters of Providence.

The 10 audiophones were obtained via a partnership with the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau. The easy-to-use, battery-powered audiophones are used for self-guided tours so people can visit at the time they so choose and adapt as needed. Up to six people can easily use one audiophone as a part of this new touring option.

Brother Barry Donaghue, cfc, the director at Providence Center, which is a ministry of the Sisters of Providence, said an audio version of the tours is something he has thought about implementing for some time.

"Visitors who walk about without any guidance find it hard to have more than a perfunctory tour," Brother Barry explained. "There are some highlights, such as Saint Mother Theodore's shrine, but the true richness of the integrated experience may be missed. Having an opportunity to see the sequence of things and the way the place fits together allows each visitor to see the big picture and heightens appreciation and enjoyment of what they are experiencing."

The audiophones include an Architecture Tour, which also incorporates buildings at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, including Guerin Hall and St. Cecilia Conservatory of Music. A second tour focuses on the various statues on the grounds of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Eventually, the tours will be available in Spanish, Brother Barry said.

Tour features will showcase indoor attractions such as the National Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore, the Heritage Museum, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence, the dioramas, the Sisters of Providence Life & Mission wall, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and more. Outdoor attractions highlighted include Corbe House, the Woodland Inn, and the Le Fer Bridge and Lake.

Brother Barry said the audiophones add yet another dimension to the tour offerings at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. “People may go into the Church (of the Immaculate Conception) and think, ‘Oh, what a lovely church.’” But that first impression doesn’t detail the history and other interesting and spiritual aspects of the church. The audiophone tour highlights that the church stained glass windows were made at the Royal Bavarian Art Institute of Munich and that at the rear of the church is a wood processional cross, which was carved from a linden tree that Saint Mother Theodore Guerin planted here in the 1840s. Visitors will discover where all the marble comes from and that the stone is from around the world, Brother Barry added.

To learn more details about the audiophones, stop by the Providence Center welcome desk or call 812-535-4531.

To coordinate a group tour or other visit, contact Providence Center Administrative Assistant Tina Soules at 812-535-2952 or e-mail provctr@spsmw.org.