The Thralls home was the first motherhouse of the Sisters of Providence.
After a long, stormy cross-Atlantic voyage, Sister St. Theodore and her companions arrived in New York harbor September 4, 1840. Then, to reach Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, the sisters traveled by stagecoach, steamboat, canal boat and train.
In her journal, Sister St. Theodore described finally reaching Saint Mary-of-the-Woods October 22, 1840: “We continued to advance into the thick woods till suddenly Father Buteux stopped the carriage and said, ‘Come down, Sisters, we have arrived.’ What was our astonishment to find ourselves still in the midst of the forest, no village, not even a house in sight. Our guide having given orders to the driver, led us down into a ravine, whence we beheld through the trees on the other side a frame house with a stable and some sheds. ‘There,’ he said, ‘is the house where the postulants have a room, and where you will lodge until your house is ready.’”
What, no Super 8 motel?!
In this one house, owned by Sarah and Joseph Thralls, the six French sisters, the four American postulants and the Thralls family lived for more than a month. Can you imagine sharing a bathroom?
In November 1840, the Diocese of Vincennes bought 55 acres, the Thralls’ home, some animals and farm equipment for $1,800. The 55 acres of land cost $1,375 or $25 per acre. When Joseph Thralls purchased some of that acreage in 1835, it cost him approximately $6 per acre.
In late November 1840, the
Diocese of Vincennes purchased the Thralls’ home and land. The foundation for the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., had been laid.
Mother Theodore, as she became known, and her sister companions faced a daunting task. Realizing the great need for religious instruction and education, the sisters opened an academy for girls July 4, 1841, which has become Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College today. By 1842, Sisters of Providence schools were established in Jasper, Indiana, and St. Francisville, Illinois.
By the time of Mother Theodore’s death May 14, 1856, the Sisters of Providence were running the schools at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and Jasper plus other Indiana schools: Vincennes, St. Peter’s (now Montgomery), Madison, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, Evansville, North Madison, Lanesville and Columbus. Mother Theodore also opened two orphanages in Vincennes — one for girls and one for boys. Additionally, the Congregation had grown from six sisters and four postulants to 67 professed members, nine novices and seven postulants.
Postulants: Generally during the first year a woman is in a religious congregation she is known as a postulant. During this time period, a woman examines her call to religious life.
Diocese of Vincennes: The Diocese of Vincennes included all of Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois, including the fledgling city of Chicago.
Novice: A woman who enters a religious congregation is known as postulant her first year. During her second and third years, she is known as a novice. |
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