FR ES

Mission, Charism and Providence Spirituality

Much tenderness and charity toward others.

Retreat Notes of Mother Gamelin, “March 1846”, Collection Providence, p.36

 

The Sisters of Providence Mission

La Mission des Sœurs de la Providence

“God has called and united us as Sisters of Providence in the Church to proclaim the mysteries of Providence and that of Our Mother of Sorrows to the society of our time by our compassionate love and creative prophetic solidarity with the poor”.

Every prophet testifies to the Word of God; she or he announces and denounces. As prophets, we do so when we express solidarity with persons whose dignity is denied and denounce this situation.

The Sisters of Providence adapt to the changing reality of the world and we find creative answers to current needs. To see the great expanse of the needs and the variety of our answers, consult the heading Works and Ministries.

Providence

La Providence

We believe that the loving presence of God watches over the entire universe and remains attentive to the needs of all, active in us and through us. This is what we call Providence.  “Active in us and through us” means that our challenge is to give a human face to Providence and testify to the love of God.

In order to be the human face of our Provident God, we engage with compassion in prophetic solidarity with the poor. For the Sisters of Providence, the poor are those persons whose basic needs are not met, the victims of injustice, the rejected, the marginalized and the voiceless.

This commitment requires our being creative in the use of the talents God has given us, so that our actions are received as an expression of God’s love. God calls us to be consecrated women living a religious style of life in community.  God exhorts us to charity and to great responsibility towards creation.

As women of Providence, we are engaged in society as social workers, nurses, teachers, spiritual companions  and as  persons committed to the integrity of creation , in areas where we are called to serve. We go where the needs are, trusting that our actions bring hope and become signs of openness to more dignified conditions of life.

Charism

Le Charisme

Each person is born with special gifts and talents. These shape us and allow us to carry out a mission to serve society and the common good.

Religious congregations are also “born” with specific gifts from the Holy Spirit. In other words, each congregation has a distinct spiritual energy calling it to serve humanity and thus respond to a particular need in the Church and the world.

Therefore, charism – from the Greek, kharisma, “gift, grace of divine origin” – is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit given for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7).

“The charism of our Providence Community is the manifestation of the mysteries of the Providence of God and Our Mother of Sorrows in compassionate love and creative prophetic solidarity with the poor.” It is on the basis of this charism that the Mission of the Sisters of Providence is built.

When Bishop Bourget erected the community, he specified:

May [the Lord Jesus] bless you all with maternal hearts towards the poor and may compassion for all the unfortunate be your distinct token.

May your joy multiply, as your family – the family of the poor- keeps multiplying. May the Lord open the treasury of his providence, so you can respond to their many needs.[1]

[1] From “Mandement d’institution des Sœurs de la Charité de Montréal” in Monseigneur Ignace Bourget et l’Œuvre  de la Providence, by the Providence Motherhouse, 1910, pages 62-63.