Providence sisters name shrine coordinator, start children’s Web site
Criterion staff report
Providence Sister Barbara Doherty has been named by the congregation to succeed Providence Sister Marie Kevin Tighe as coordinator of the Office of the Shrine of St. Mother Theodore Guérin at the motherhouse at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Also in September, the sisters launched a children’s Web site called “WoodsUp.”
Sister Marie Kevin retired this month after nearly 11 years in her ministry of promoting the sainthood cause of St. Theodora and serving as the liaison between the congregation and the Vatican.
“When I began the work, I had little idea of all it would involve,” Sister Marie Kevin explained. “I discovered there would be many letters that would need to be responded to, many
e-mails to take in and visits to be fulfilled, responding to those who wanted to learn more about St. Mother Theodore.
“… There also have been literally hundreds of presentations at various locations throughout Indiana and in other parts of the country as well,” Sister Marie Kevin said. “It was wonderful to continue a journey that had begun so long ago toward this moment of proclamation that we so long had waited.”
In recent years, Sister Marie Kevin worked with local, state, national and international media to help share the message about St. Theodora, the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, who was canonized in 2006.
Sister Marie Kevin also received daily letters, e-mails and telephone calls from around the world from people who want to know more about St. Theodora, ask for her intercession or report favors they believe have been granted through her intercession.
Sister Barbara said she plans to continue that ministry with various publics and begin anew to emphasize St. Theodora’s relevance for the world today.
“It is such an honor to do this, to be coming closer to Mother Theodore,” Sister Barbara said. “I need to spend some time thinking about the past in order to see where we can go from here. We need to focus on how she touches today’s society and people, what meaning she has for all people.”
A native of Chicago, Sister Barbara entered the congregation in February 1951. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a master’s degree in sacred doctrine from St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Ind., and a doctorate in theology from Fordham University in New York. She also received an honorary doctorate from Indiana State University in Terre Haute.
Most recently, Sister Barbara served as director of the Institute of Religious Formation at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Formerly, she served as president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College from 1984-98.
She may be contacted at 812-535-2925 or by e-mail at bdoherty@spwmw.org.
The sisters’ new Web site, located at www.WoodsUp.com, is devoted to the education of children and crafted primarily for fourth- through eighth-grade students.
The Web site has been in the making for more than two years and features pages devoted to art, music, environment, history, justice, St. Theodora, faith and values as well as educational resources for parents and teachers.
“WoodsUp” is designed to invite children to expand their educational horizons, explained Rosie Blankenship Maynard, the congregation’s Web site manager.
While the spirituality of the Sisters of Providence and their Catholic faith is intertwined in the site, Maynard said, there is no attempt to influence religious beliefs.
“We want children in all schools, not just Catholic schools, to be able to benefit from this Web site,” Maynard said. “We were very careful to avoid using any undue religious influence so that children in public schools, their teachers and parents could have confidence that the information they access would be beneficial.”
Maynard said the pages would be updated regularly with new interactive tasks, new information and additional educational games.
“WoodsUp” also can be opened through the Sisters of Providence Web site at www.SistersofProvidence.org. †
