John Laska drew this pen & ink portrait of Saint Mother Theodore.

At 58, Mother Theodore Guerin died May 14, 1856, after 16 years of missionary service to the Wabash Valley. But her legacy lives on today in the current Congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

During her lifetime, Mother Theodore:

• experienced tragedy in her early life when her father was murdered;

• handled difficult family issues by taking care of her mother and sister after the death of her father and two brothers;

• learned survival skills by planting gardens and raising livestock in order to survive the Indiana wildnerness;

• learned how to raise and handle money in order to grow her Congregation;

• became a businesswoman by establishing schools and constructing buildings at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and other locations;

• prejudice

  Prejudice is often used to describe thinking bad things about a person who is different.
  suffered from health problems; and

• experienced prejudice as many people in the 1840s weren't accepting of Catholics, foreigners or women in "men's roles" such as business.

Mother Theodore came to the U.S. to teach children and to give out medicine to the sick – these were just a few of the “gifts” given to Mother Theodore to serve other people.