New American Saint

"The saint is that man, that woman who, responding with joy and generosity to the call of Christ, leaves everything to follow him,"

Pope Benedict XVI's above comment was part of his address at the canonization mass of four new saints on October 15 in St. Peter's Square. One of these new saints is Mother Theodore Guerin, a French nun who founded the Sisters of Providence in 1840. Moving to the wilderness of Indiana, Mother Guerin founded an academy for girls, which today is St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, the oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women in the United States. She died in 1856, after many years of poor health, rugged living conditions and lack of resources. Despite the hardships, however, she drew strength from her faith and her desire to serve God.

Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, and Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi of Palermo, Italy, were the main concelebrants at the papal Mass. Joining them were five other U.S. bishops from Indiana and Illinois who concelebrated the Mass, which was attended by some 125 Sisters of Providence, dozens of students from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and 45 pilgrims from the newly renamed St. Theodore Guerin High School in Noblesville, Ind.

In his homily, the pope said, "With great trust in divine providence, Mother Theodore overcame many challenges and persevered in the work that the Lord had called her to do. By the time of her death in 1856, the sisters were running schools and orphanages throughout the state of Indiana." It was in the Eucharist, in prayer and in her "infinite trust in divine providence," the pope continued, that Mother Theodore found the "strength and audacity" to carry out her mission.

Her Feast is October 3.