My Visit to Saint Mary in the Woods in 2022

My journey with The Sisters of Providence began when My Dad and I took a trip to visit his Aunt and Uncle in Terree Haute Indiana. While there I decided to drive out and see Saint Mary in the Woods as my Mother's Aunt had attended college there graduating with a degree in Journalism in 1949. I got to the church of the Immaculate Conception in time to attend a mass with the Sisters. After Mass I started walking around the building taking pictures of the architecture and antiques the place held. I had gotten to the shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin 

I had just come out of the Shrine of Saint Theodora Guérin. and walked up to a window that looked over the main entrance of The Church of the Immaculate Conception 

I was taking these pictures and turned and looked down the hall and this little lady on a walker was making her way toward me. 

When I took this picture the Lady said It looks like you got a good angle on that one. I responded with it will be nice if it turns out well. 

Sister Barbara Bluntzer

The Lady and I started visiting she asked me why I was there, and I said I had an Aunt and Cousin that attended this college, and I was visiting family in the area and felt compelled to come see the school they were always talking about. The Lady said come this way, and began guiding me up this very LONG hall. We got up to the front of the building as we progressed people came up and kept hugging the lady and asking her questions. I finally asked her if she worked there. and she said she was retired but lived there. I said are you a sister? and she then told me a bit about herself. It turned out we were both from Texas. She was from Corpus Christi. She knew where Nacogdoches was, and had actually stayed there. I ended up spending an hour and a half with her as she explained the history of Mother Thedora, and the college.  

Sister Barbara took me all the way to the front where the visitor center now stands and said "This is a part of the college both your relatives will remember this used to be where Foley Hall was located and most of the girls that came through in the mid-last century including myself would have known this building. She pointed out pictures of pictures for me to take. 

Inside Foley Hall 

Corridor in Foley Hall 

Girls Dining Room in Foley Hall 

Staircase in Foley Hall 

An actual stained glass window left from Foley Hall located in the modern Visitor Ctr. 

Sister Barbara recommended that I spend some time in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence praying. 

When I got home I started studying Divine Providence. 

Divine providence is the belief that a higher power, or God, is actively involved in guiding and sustaining the universe and all events within it. This concept suggests that God's wisdom and will are at work, directing all things to their ultimate purpose. It is a core doctrine in many religions, asserting that God is in control and cares for all of creation, from the smallest details to the grandest events. 

Several Months after returning home I was diagnosed with a meriad of issues. By August of 2022. I had to stop working as a Licensed Massage Therapist as I was unable to help others because of my body. I was formally declared disabled in 2025. I went through some dark times in the Summer of 2022 because of my disabilty. These times were made a bit lighter by the tools that Sister Barbara had introduced me to in my visit to Saint Mary in the Woods.