Letter of October 20, 2006

Mother Theodore Guerin - Another American Saint
The Most Reverend Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop of Lansing

On October 15, 2006, Pope Benedict will canonize Mother Theodore Guerin. She will be added to the growing list of American Saints. She’s among those who came from Europe as missionaries to this part of the New World. She is one of the great number of priests and religious women who came from France in the 17 and 18 hundreds to serve French Catholics in frontier settlements.

After the English defeated the French at Quebec in 1763, the vast territory of New France and its scattered settlements of Catholics were in dire need of priests and sisters. After the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 by President Jefferson, it belonged to the new United States. It stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, including all the Great Lakes.

The church in France rose to the challenge of these missions. We are familiar with names like Marquette, Brebeuf, Richard, Flaget, Badin, Brute, Cheverus, De Smet, Du Bourg. During the sever persecutions of the French Revolution, entire Religious Communities fled to the United States and especially the Northwest and Louisiana Territories.

In 1808, the diocese of Bardstamin was established. It included most of the vast Louisiana Purchase. The first bishop, Benedict Flaget, had served in the French towns of Kaskaskia and Vincennes. He returned to France to seek out priests and seminarians.

This was a typical poster for recruits to the American Missions:
ONLY HEROES WANTED
No salary
No recompense
No holidays
No pension
BUT much hard work
A poor dwelling
Few consolations
Many disappointments
Frequent sickness
A violent or lonely death
An unknown grave

There was a remarkable response to this appeal for heroic priests.

In 1834, Pope Gregory XVI created the diocese of Vincennes which included Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois. The first bishop was Simon Brute de Remur. Flaget inspired his coming to America.

He found the state of the faith in these old French settlements in sad decline. In 1839 he wrote to Religious Teaching Orders in France. He died that year, but his plea was heeded. In 1840 the Congregation of Sisters of Providence at Ruille sur Laire sent six sisters to Vincennes to establish a Motherhouse and teach children.

This group was led by Mother Theodore Guerin. She was born on October 2, 1798 in Etahles, France and became a Sister of Providence in 1823 and taught children and cared for the sick for 17 years.

The sisters arrived at the Wilderness of Saint Mary of the Woods on October 22, 1840. During their long and treacherous journey from France, the group agreed to pray before the Blessed Sacrament as soon as they arrived. In the presence of the Eucharist they thanked Our Lord and asked blessings on their mission.

In the midst of many hardships Mother Guerin wrote in her journal: “Truly we have much to suffer in our deep forest, having no other support, no other consoler than God alone”.

She encouraged her community to hope and trust in God: “Have confidence in the Providence that so far has never failed us. The way is not yet clear. Grope along slowly. Do not press matters; be patient; be trustful”.

Within a year a Motherhouse, novitiate and an academy was established. This led to many schools, missions and an orphanage.

After more than 150 years her words still ring true: “Ours is a preparation for the generations that will succeed us, and eminent good will be done this way by us. You may not live to see it, but you will have sown the seed, and your sisters will come to reap what will have been sown”.

Mother Theodore died May 14, 1856. Her monument reads: “I sleep but my heart watches over this house which I have built”.

John Paul II declared her Venerable in 1992 and Blessed in 1997.

This October 15, Benedict XVI will canonize her - Saint Theodore Guerin - another Saint from America.