The Story of the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence

The Congregation of the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, often 
called GUANELLIANS, was founded in the late 1800's by Blessed Louis 
Guanella.

As a young diocesan priest, Father Guanella had a clear vision of 
charitable and social work for the needy, the retarded, the orphaned 
and the aged. Under the impulse of the love of Christ, he spent his 
whole life and energies for them. However, he was not content 
devoting just his own time; he sought others to share and continue 
his work. These are his religious followers, the Daughters of St. 
Mary of Providence, in whom he instilled his ardent spirit, so that 
more needs could be helped, more souls could be saved.

Therefore, to be a Daughter of St. Mary of Providence means:

to live a special vocation, which binds the member to God and her 
fellow man with vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience;

to tend to her own sanctification by always being at the disposal of 
the most needy:

by caring for the retarded and the aged;

by educating girls and youth materially or morally needy;

by hospital work;

by working with the Sister Congregation, the Servants of Charity, in 
their work with retarded boys;

work with that love and competence, permeated by the characteristic 
"Guanellian" spirit of sacrifice and simplicity, which distinguishes 
them from any other religious community.

At the present, over twelve-hundred members are serving Christ in 
more than one hundred schools, homes for the aged, hospitals and 
parishes spread throughout Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Brazil, 
Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, United States, Canada, Mexico, 
India, Philippines and Romania. All are under obedience to their 
Mother General who resides in Rome, close to the Roman Pontiff.

Blessed Guanella himself came to the United States in 1912, and the 
Congregation established its first house in Chicago in 1913. In the 
United States, the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence now operate 
St. Mary of Providence, St. Rose, and Mt. St. Joseph Home in the 
Chicago area; St. Mary of Providence in Elverson, Pennsylvania; Our 
Lady of Providence, Northville, Michigan; St. Bernard's Providence 
Hospital, and St. William's Home, Milbank, South Dakota; Divine 
Providence Community Home, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota; Divine Providence 
Village in Springfield, Pennsylvania; St. Edmund's Home in Rosemont, 
Pennsylvania; Don Guanella Center in Chelsea, Massachusetts; 
Scalabrini Villa in Rhode Island; Sacred Heart School, Providence, 
Rhode Island; Pastoral Work in Vancouver and Kamloops, B.C., Canada.

Candidates for the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence are eligible 
to join the Congregation after they have completed high school.

Before Novitiate the candidate for the Sisterhood will undergo a 
postulancy program which will provide her an opportunity to share in 
the works and prayer life of the community.

The Novitiate is a two year special program, which emphasizes the 
personal, Christian and religious formation of the candidate with 
particular regard to her future service among the handicapped.

The Juniorate begins with the taking of vows and may be spent at any 
house of the Congregation, considering the needs and the benefit both 
of the candidate and of the Community.

Every Sister pronounces the perpetual vows of Chastity, Poverty and 
Obedience after a year of training at the completion of her Juniorate 
in San Pancrazio, the Generalate of the Daughters of St. Mary of 
Providence in Rome.

The Habit of a Daughter of St. Mary of Providence is gray, blue, 
black or white depending upon its use, simple and uniform with veil 
and crucifix, giving witness to a total consecration to Christ.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WRITE TO:

Daughters of St. Mary of Providence
Sr. Bernardine Kauffmann, DSMP, Supr. Del.
4200 N. Austin Ave. 
Chicago, IL 60634 
312-545-8300 

ã Copyright, 1996, Society for Religious Vocations

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