Mission
Known and united as the Sisters of Providence, we make known God’s Providence and the compassion of Our Mother of Sorrows to the society of our time.
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.
In order to be the human face of our Provident God, we engage with compassion in prophetic solidarity with the poor. We adapt to the world’s changing reality and find creative answers to current needs.
As women of Providence, we are engaged in today’s world as nurses, teachers, administrators, social workers, spiritual companions, and individuals committed to the environment, in areas where we are called to serve, trusting that our actions will bring hope and new life.
Values
Compassion
We understand the suffering of others and take concrete action to alleviate and improve the condition of the poor.
Personal respect and dignity
We stand together with all those who are voiceless or homeless, regardless of their suffering or condition, much like Émilie Tavernier-Gamelin, who stood up in the face of mourning, accusations, disease and internal hardship.
Justice
We act responsibly toward individuals and groups whose rights are not recognized in order to promote equal opportunity and ensure that the rights of all human beings are taken into account with due regard for their dignity.
Welcome
We cultivate openness and welcome in our respective communities to respond as much as possible to the growing needs around us, in society and within the Church.
Boldness
We journey forward in our community and adapt our actions to a constantly changing world, while having faith in Providence.
Protecting Creation
We strive to protect planet Earth, increasingly threatened by all types of cataclysms and human negligence. This respect for Creation is reflected in all our activities and actions: the use of water, energy, spaces, new technologies, forests, and many others.
Spirituality
When Émilie Tavernier-Gamelin was widowed and lost her three children, she was called upon to approach the Virgin of Sorrows, standing at the foot of the Cross of her son Jesus. Her contemplation of Mary’s sorrows led her to continue to reach out to the poor, and her apostleship among them once again led her to contemplate Mary, who gave her renewed strength of commitment toward the most destitute.
This spiral movement experienced by our Founder invites us in turn to share a contemplative vision for a real and sustained engagement with the poor. It is Émilie’s profound spirituality that supports our mission.
Since Émilie discovered the great Saint Vincent-de-Paul and his love for the poor in the first years after the Congregation’s founding (1843), the Sisters of Providence wanted their spirituality to be imbued with the Rules for the Daughters of Charity, according to Saint Vincent-de-Paul, who became one of the first patron saints of the Congregation.
