Saint of the Day: St. Theodora Guerin

Foundress of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods (1798-1856)

Her life

+ Anne-Therese Guerin was born in Brittany and entered the Sisters of Providence in 1825, receiving the name “Sister Saint Theodore.” She made final vows in 1831. 

+ In 1840, Mother Theodore (as she was known), was sent with five other sisters to establish a new foundation in the United States in the Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana. She established schools in several cities in Indiana and Illinois. 

+ In her efforts to protect her sisters and their ministries from interference (and attempts to gain control) by Church and civil leaders, Mother Theodore endured much suffering, including being locked in a closet by the Bishop of Vincennes because she would not acquiesce to his demands. 

+ Mother Theodore also oversaw the construction of an academy and motherhouse for the sisters near the village of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, establishing an independent community: the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods. 

+ Saint Theodore Guerin died on May 14, 1856, and was canonized in 2006. 

For prayer and reflection

“What strength the soul draws from prayer! In the midst of a storm, how sweet is the calm it finds in the heart of Jesus. But what comfort is there for those who do not pray?”—Saint Theodora Guerin

Spiritual bonus 

On October 3 we also remember Blessed Szilárd István Bogdánffy. Originally from what is modern-day Serbia, he served as a parish priest and seminary professor in Romania following his ordination. Consecrated bishop of Satu Mare, Romania, on February 14, 1949, he was arrested and charged with treason by Communist authorities on April 5 of that same year. Sentenced to 12 years of forced labor for the “crime” of being a leader of the Church, he was transferred to several camps and was noted for his care for the other prisoners. Blessed Szilárd died in prison from abuse and neglect on October 3, 1953. He was beatified in 2010. 

Prayer

O God, who raised up blessed Theodora in your Church to show others the way of salvation, grant us, by her example, so to follow Christ the master, that we may come with our neighbor into your presence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(From The Roman Missal: Common of Holy Men and Women—For an Educator)
Saint profiles prepared by Fr. Silas Henderson, S.D.S.